Manic Grandiosity

When my partner Ivan got really sick in 1994, he told me he believed he was a genius. This upset him a lot because there was a part of him who knew this was an odd thing to feel, but the other part believed it. When he got so ill he could no longer have a coherent conversation, he definitely thought he knew more than most people.

Grandiosity is characterize by a person truly, truly believing that they are better than everyone and they make sure people know it! I remember being manic once and looking in the mirror and thinking- I am more beautiful than every person I know! That is manic grandiosity at its best! Manic grandiosity is very different from narcissism. The grandiosity that comes with mania is episodic- in other words it is ONLY there during a bipolar disorder mood swing. Narcissism is [ Read More ]





Bipolar Disorder Euphoric Mania

Bipolar Euphoric  Mania Symptoms

An extreme desire for

- sex with no thoughts of the consequences

- spending with no thought of the cost

- travel – no matter who you leave behind

- creative projects where you stay up all night with an ‘amazing idea!’

- quick results-  the manic person finds ‘slow’ people very annoying

- talking with strangers

People with bi-polar euphoric mania also experience:

- less need for sleep with no tiredness the next day

- excessive ideas that just feel so wonderful they have to tell everyone about them!

- an general sense of well being that is hard to describe unless you have experienced it!

- inability to let others talk

Have you ever had bipolar euphoric mania?  I have! Julie

[ Read More ]





Bipolar Hypomania- a few weeks ago….

It’s 11:45 in the morning and I’m at the library writing my latest book. When I woke up this morning I called my friend Janea and told her what I’ve been doing. She said, “Julie, are you in a mood?” I said, “Oh yes, the mania is dogging me. That’s for sure. But I have it under control. I just can’t figure out where it’s coming from.” This conversation is amazing for two reasons-  it’s the first time that Janea has specifically noticed that I’m up and said something about it. I’ve been teaching her about bipolar disorder for three years. It really can take that long for people to understand that being manic is very, very different from being happy or amped up on caffeine.

Secondly, it’s amazing because I admitted that I was slightly manic and even thought I felt embarrassed that [ Read More ]





hypomania.. darn it… gosh darn it!

hypomania…. Gosh darn it… darn it….

I’m writing a new book on ebooks for a publishing company called the Geezer Guides. It’s not an easy book to write, but then none are!  I was really in the zone this morning. I got to the library with no brain civil war. I just got in my car, drove, parked, sat at my desk, opened my computer and started to write. This may seem simple to some, but it’s often a truly difficult process for people with bipolar disorder. Then I realized I was having a lot of fun writing. The ideas were flowing like melted chocolate! I called a friend and said, “It’s an amazing day! I’m finally feeling better and things aren’t so hard! All right!”

And then it happened. I thought, “Oh no. I’m hypomanic.”

[ Read More ]





Reader question: Mania and irritation

Hi, I just received this question from Sandra:

Julie, is irritability a sign of hypomania? I’m also going from calm and patient to incredibly angry in minutes (seconds?). Any ideas? I do have an appointment to see my therapist today.

Answer: Oh yes, mania can cause irritation and anger. It’s called dysphoric mania. You can also be scattered, unable to do tasks calmly, snappy and weepy. The main problem is that it affects your sleep. If you have dysphoric mania and depression- it’s a mixed episode. If you go from mania to depression and back, it’s called rapid cycling.

 You will need to check your meds- if you’re on an antidepressant, it’s possible it is causing this- if you’ve recently had a stessful event in life, that can be the problem as well. I’ve found it’s usually medications or a trigger that starts something. Or, it can just be the darn illness. There are many meds [ Read More ]





Bipolar Mania: subtle signs!

I’ve been up and down lately and amazingly, more up than down! I could say HALLAJUILIULA  (really, where does our spelling come from!) or I could do what I’m doing. I’m getting home early and watching Dancing with the Stars. I’m avoiding stimulating situations such as karaoke or dinner parties. I’m aware that I’m on the cusp of not sleeping. I’m using my Ativan instead of trying to force myself to sleep. There is a lot I can do now before it goes so far.

Here are my subtle signs of mania: I’d be interested to know yours.

#1. Cooking. I cook a lot more when I’m manic and I often make pretty complex dishes. Today I made chicken Marsala. I then tend to cook a lot of dishes to go with it, but I stopped myself today.

#2. I chop too quickly and tend to fling knives and cutting boards around when I’m washing [ Read More ]





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