PT 2 What are the Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder Dysphoric Mania?

f you lips candy smallDysphoric mania checklist: Do any of these sound familiar?

  • You feel agitated and uncomfortable in the body and mind- this is different than anxiety!
  • The depression feels active- it’s not catatonic or sedating.
  • The mind feels jumbled- but energized in a negative way. You may have thoughts such as, “I hate my life. I hate my work. I’ve got to get out of here.”
  • You’re very easily irritated.  This can lead to punching things, yelling and picking fights with those you normally treat with love.
  • Road rage with a lot of yelling.
  • You cuss far more than normally- or may even have thoughts and say things that are completely against character.
  • Sleep is completely disturbed due to the mania.

Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder and the Health Cards Treatment System for Bipolar Disorder have a treatment plan for all kinds of mania. I also discuss dysphoric mania in my free Bipolar Disorder 101 coaching call. Info on how to listen to the call is on the menu bar.

Let’s learn about dysphoric mania so that it doesn’t ruin relationships and lives.

Julie

PS:  I once had a 6 week dysphoric manic episode that caught me 100% by surprise. My obsessions were buying a Dodge Charger and moving to Barcelona. Thank heavens I had a management plan in place or I would be driving a gas guzzling car in Spain! 😉

11 comments to PT 2 What are the Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder Dysphoric Mania?

  • Rick

    Hi Julie, I’m just wondering if you take other meds along with your Lamictal?
    I finally reached 200mg and have been at this dose for 2 months. I still experience some depression/irritability….. dysphoria I suppose.
    My p/doc has me taking Seroquel 150mg nightly for 3 years now and it seems to have lost it’s effect.
    At my last appointment, he told me to wean of Seroquel and take Zyprexa Zydis 2.5mg – 5mg prn and see how that goes. I also take 1mg of clonazepam 3/day.
    Thanks for your help.

  • There are many non-drug approaches to help people heal and fully recover from “bipolar disorder”. This *non-commercial* site has some good links. –

    http://discoverandrecover.wordpress.com

    Duane Sherry, M.S., CRC-R
    Retired Counselor

  • Dysphoric mania?

    Surely, you don’t believe all this hype.

    Thomas Insel, M.D., Director of the National Institute of Mental Health recently announced that there are no biomarkers for “mental illness”…
    never have been.

    Simply put, there is no science behind all this, Julie.
    None.

    Again, these are symptoms of underlying physical and/or emotional conditions.
    Nothing more.
    Nothing less.

    I bet they love you at NAMI…
    You’re keepin’ the myth alive.

    Duane

  • The *symptoms* are from something other than “manic dysphoria”, which is a make-believe illness, based on nothing real or scientific.

    A real doctor (not a psychiatrist) might be able to help. Or a counselor to help address underlying emotional issues, such as those caused by trauma or prolonged stress.

    Best,

    Duane

  • Oops, dysphoric mania (inverted).
    It matters not however, it’s a pseudo-scientific label.

    Duane

    • Hi Duane! I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. I have all of your comments and will answer them in a blog. I will write and let you know when it’s posted.

      I do respect all that you write, but as someone who just went through a two week dysphoric hypomanic episode, I can assure you it was pretty real for me! I don’t care what it’s called. The symptoms are what need to be noticed and treated. It was awful. I have a lot of trouble working when I have this mood swing. What would you call the symptoms of dysphoric mania? They are the same for all of us- I’m alway open to hearing new ideas. This is how we learn and change and hopefully get better! julie

      • Julie, have you ever considered that the Zoloft (if you’re still taking it)might set off the dysphoria? I thought A/D’s were very destabilizing for many Bipolar’s? At least that’s what my P/Doc tells me!

        • Shauna

          Zoloft is the worst thing for a mixed state! It put me in the hospital…everybody reacts differently.

  • Terri

    Julie,

    You just described my last 3 weeks. Easily agitated, quick to anger, disturbed sleep, obsessed with things I wouldn’t normally be obsessed with. I am glad you wrote about this because it has allowed me to put a name with it. I have called my psychiatrist to find a method to control this. I believe the trigger was due to a work trip I recently took in which my schedule was completely disrupted. When I returned home is when the dysphoric mania appeared. No that I have a name, a list of symptoms, I can create a plan to control this mood.

    Having bipolar is not easy. Sometimes it seems like a constant fight to be in recovery, but it is well worth it. Thank you for everything you do in providing education to those who have Bipolar and their loved ones. It has given me and my loved ones insight into an illness that at times has been very scary.

    Thank you.

  • Jovelle

    I have just heard of dysphoric mania (mania agitation), it explains so much of what I experienced with my past partner. Thanks for blogging on this – I still try to understand his behaviors because we have a daughter together and I know that for her benefit it is important for me to learn to help him and teach her as she grows how to understand his behaviors and manage the emotions she will feel going through it. I also am concerned with the genetic pre-disposition (and it is very real despite what “Duane” says) and want to understand how to really raise her with a self awareness, just in case she faces the same illness her father has.

  • Leigh

    Thank you for this.

    I had a tentative diagnosis of bipolar 1 with psychotic features for a while, but that didn’t go anywhere due to a bad psychiatrist.

    I thought I was really truly going crazy.