On being manic....
Before I got diagnosed (having no information about Bipolar Disorder at all) I used to define my manic episodes as "being in a really good mood." And I was. I was happy, elated, had tons of energy... when these episodes would occur I would get SO MUCH DONE. I'd paint the whole house (indoors, not out, lol)... rearrange all the furniture... detail the car with ridiculous attention to detail...
I must admit, I *liked* being like that. I like the energy, the euphoria. The amount of stuff I get done is great. But the bad part of it is that I spend too much money... I can go from euphoric to enraged in a heartbeat...
Too bad we can't pick and choose our symptoms, eh?
I've noticed that even stable on meds, sometimes I can sort of "push myself into" hypomanic episodes. Well, that sounds like it's deliberate, but it is not. For example, my boyfriend and I decided to move in together. I hadn't paid my storage unit in a while and it was overlocked, and I was anxious to start the move. So when I paid the storage and could get in there, I was sooo excited it was crazy. I couldn't wait to pack stuff up and take it to his house. He couldn't understand my excitement. And I was so tunnel-visioned about getting it done that it didn't matter to me in the slightest that it was raining. My poor boyfriend just endured.
Later after I had "come down" I realized the state I had been in. He didn't know me pre-meds and it was the first time he'd seen me like that. So I told him that if I get like that again, that he should gently remind me that I'm being overzealous or whatever. It hasn't happened again yet so I don't know if that will work.
But I sure did get a lot moved and put away that day. LOL
I must admit, I *liked* being like that. I like the energy, the euphoria. The amount of stuff I get done is great. But the bad part of it is that I spend too much money... I can go from euphoric to enraged in a heartbeat...
Too bad we can't pick and choose our symptoms, eh?
I've noticed that even stable on meds, sometimes I can sort of "push myself into" hypomanic episodes. Well, that sounds like it's deliberate, but it is not. For example, my boyfriend and I decided to move in together. I hadn't paid my storage unit in a while and it was overlocked, and I was anxious to start the move. So when I paid the storage and could get in there, I was sooo excited it was crazy. I couldn't wait to pack stuff up and take it to his house. He couldn't understand my excitement. And I was so tunnel-visioned about getting it done that it didn't matter to me in the slightest that it was raining. My poor boyfriend just endured.
Later after I had "come down" I realized the state I had been in. He didn't know me pre-meds and it was the first time he'd seen me like that. So I told him that if I get like that again, that he should gently remind me that I'm being overzealous or whatever. It hasn't happened again yet so I don't know if that will work.
But I sure did get a lot moved and put away that day. LOL
