Hi beautifuls!
Hypomania and rapid cycling I think luckily without psychosis so far. That’s what’s up with me.
Anyone have bipolar and experienced this at all I’d love to hear how you manage.
I’m doing great right now but the highs and lows may get more intense and I am in the process of making a plan.
Thanks ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
Nothing to add here except that I'm glad you're making a plan!
Thank you so much Minnie! You’re a good friend.
When i have hypomania I have once or twice found that very slow breathing for 20 minutes or more can put me right. It surprised me when it worked. I caught it early, though.
Good that you are taking steps to keep things under wrap. It sounds like you are aware that rapid cycling can be dangerous. Keep us in the loop!
I m wondering now if I’m just happy and not used to it, ha! How do I know? I’ve been sleeping instead of 10 hours now I sleep 5. And I feel amazing which I haven’t felt in years. 🤔
Yeeeeeeeah, in my world, if the sleeplessness happens more than two nights, accompanied by a strong feeling that this is "a new chapter in my life", then I'm hypomanic. Thanks for those observations, I had never put that into words.
Thanks I am accepting that I’m having hypomania a lot these past few days and I’m dipping into depression the next minute. I’m doing all I can to stay high feeling ... after years of agony I finally am feeling good and you are so right It must be mania or hypomania as I said yesterday which was my birthday and today still that it’s a new chapter of my new life!!!
I don't you know if you know this, but rapid cycling can be dangerous. You can feel one minute like you'd rather be dead and then suddenly have enough energy to make it happen!
Thanks for your concern. So far I haven’t felt suicidal at all just depressed.
This is totally unrelated. I really question sometimes if bipolar disorder is a real condition or if it is more of an opinion rather than based on any hard facts. I think sometimes if someone goes through some kind of psychotic break because they have a lot of different stressors going on in their life, it would be very almost normal for someone to be freaking out if their under tons of pressure from parents and all kinds of crap is happening to them. I've been diagnosed myself as having bipolar disorder and it's a terrible label to have. If you're having a bad mood you're judged, if you're in a good mood and making a joke then some people will question whether you must be manic. I think I'm very sensitive and reactive and if someone's trying to provoke me it's natural I'm not going to be too happy about that and just let mean comments slide. I don't know what to believe sometimes.
Wow interesting insight. Yeah I know what you mean. I do think stress can bring it on and I guess the label is there just to get an idea of how to possibly treat it but it seems the label causes some negative aspects too.
It's all the stigma about it. I've been asked SO many times if I have a history of substance abuse- no, I don't!!!! Or people wonder if I might be violent or if I have a criminal record-no!!!! This is the bs I deal with constantly that I shouldn't have to.
Yeah, the stigma sucks, which is why I only tell friends. Or only tell employers if something bad happens that I have to explain, lest I look amoral.
When my mood persists despite a changing environment, then I start to wonder. At the end of the day, though, if it's not causing any harm, then there's no problem. For me, the hypomania caused even more harm than the depression. And my actions when I'm hypomanic are often morally questionable, which reflects poorly on me to my friends and colleagues, and makes me feel bad about myself once the mood has passed.
I hear you.
Oh my Lord YES! I am horrible at doing that. I will order things that I really don't remember 😬 I book vacations, go on spending sprees. Then take it all back. The last time I done that I charged 2100 or so and my daughter. Made me take it all back. Wow so embarrassing. Yes your not alone.
I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder 20 years ago and lived with it for about 7 years prior to diagnosis (I had juvenile onset). Something that helped me was to actually define my support network. I wrote a list of people I knew I could trust completely, cared about my well-being, and generally lived healthy lives. Then I actually reached out to those people, told them my diagnosis and asked if they would be part of my support network. I told them that meant I might call them and say “I am not okay, can you just come over” or “I am not okay, I need to go to a hospital” or just “I’m having some symptoms and need some grounding, can we go on a hike this weekend.” Hold onto that list and realize as you go through life it will change. When people come off that list actively look for other people in your life who can fill that hole in your network.
Second piece of advice is exercise! If you have any type of feeling go exercise and sweat it out. Actively visualize the emotion leaving your body as sweat. If you’re running, visualize yourself running away from the feeling. If you’re doing strength training, imagine yourself “lifting” the feeling off you. If you’re doing yoga, visualize breathing the feeling out. Get creative! It’s by far my best coping strategy.
I love the ways you describe about exercise! Smart.
Actually, any kind of exercise, even yoga, is like throwing fuel on the fire when I'm hypomanic. I remember doing yoga four times a week for about a month when I was hypomanic but not yet diagnosed. I kept thinking I needed to calm down, but the vigorous workouts didn't calm me down.
But having said that, I think regular exercise helps to keep me from becoming hypomanic in the first place.
Did you find things that seemed to help calm you down when hypomanic?
I had a period where I was under-medicated, and so I spent months a little depressed, and sometimes hypomanic, but I could keep the hypomania from getting too bad by keeping the lights down low, keeping noises quiet, avoiding rigorous exercise, and avoiding social situations. For me, even art and music are triggering. Basically, reduce the stimulus from your surroundings as much as possible. Socializing with anyone but my closest friends also amps me up — I feel anxious, and anxiety is a trigger. But it’s important to add I was also taking an atypical antipsychotic, just not enough. I never figured how to control my moods with absolutely no medicine. I’m not saying It can’t be done, but I never could.
Good ideas thanks!!!
Oh, and get sleep! You should be shooting for 8 - 8.5 hours a night, and don't be afraid to try a little melatonin if it helps you fall asleep at a regular time.
Yes! I’ve been taking Benadryl and Melatonin... used to get 10 hrs now I get 5. It’s part of this bipolar thing I’m dealing with.
I tried the Benadryl thing, but it triggered depression. But during that period the hypomania and depression was all mixed together -- I don't think scientists have really come to terms with what a "mixed state" is. I don't have language to describe it except that my motivations are weird and my inhibitions are weird.
Yes! It’s mixed for me too! It’s so odd. How can emotions that semi to be opposites appear at the same time? What do you mean by motivations and inhibitions being weird? I’m so curious because I’m really struggling to understand what is going on here. I’ve had it before but it’s been 5 years since my last bad episode. Today I’m more stable than yesterday so that’s good. Thanks for your support it means a lot to me, my friend.
Well, for me depression isn't really sadness as much as fogginess. I just don't think clearly, and am unmotivated, and get lost in distracting tasks, like doing mundane things to "improve" my computer, spending hours hunched over it with little to show for it. And I avoid my family.
But hypomania can be almost like that too, except that I'm much more outgoing, and funny. But I push the boundaries a little too much, and I think people's impression of me suffers, even though they might be laughing and having a good time.
But it all has in common a lack of focus, an ability to carry through on my ideas or on other people's needs. That includes my boss's needs. I haven't been fired for it yet, but I've come close.
Fortunately I have found a medicine regemine that works for me with few side effects. And I haven't had but one small mood swings in the past year. My daughter was struck with epilepsy in January, and we were all so depressed, and I dipped for a day, but soon recovered. That was a very hard time, though.
I’m sorry about your daughter and I agree with depression It’s hard to concentrate and scatters my brain.
Thanks for sharing about your sons. I like “one day at a time” I also like that “all we can do is our best”-very comforting
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