My entire management plan is based off a simple and yet life changing concept. If you know what your bipolar disorder looks like- from the first minute symptom, you can catch and stop a mood swing before it goes too far. Here is an example using hypomania.
What is the first thing you say when you’re manic?
What is the first thing you do?
What is the first thing you think?
Here are mine:
- Say: I’m not manic am I? No, this isn’t mania. It’s just feeling good.
Do: Drive quickly while listening to loud music. Banging my hands like the steering wheel is a drum.
Think: God, it’s so fantastic not to be depressed! This is the real me!
I have a lot of different bipolar hypomania patterns. Here’s another one:
- Say: Life is boring. I really need to go out tonight and do a bit of drinking and have some fun!
Do: Drink in the afternoon- Mojito or a hard cider.
Think: I feel so much better and I’m looking really fantastic tonight.
When the above scenarios come after a depression and feel way too good, I know it’s hypomania.
Learning my subtle signs of hypomania changed my life- it’s easier to treat mania at the very beginning than let it grow into something more serious.
How about you? What are your first signs of hypomania?
Julie
PS: I talk about my management plan in this blog- I called the plan the Health Cards Treatment System for Bipolar Disorder. The plan is the basis for all of my books and I still use my plan every day of the year and always will!
Click here to read more about the Health Cards.
I would like to know–not out of voyueurism, but out of wanting to understand my own duaghter– what kinds of things the hypomania makes you do–like sexual things or saying inappropriatate things–is that what you regret?
I can totally relate! Today I was doing that driving fast with loud music thing and feeling all jazzed up. . . earlier in the day I was way low. I always think it will be so obvious to “see the signs” it is not and I have to be more aware. Thanks for being there!
Hi Julie,
Thanks for sharing. I recently just disc’d ur blog abt bipolar while researching abt it. I don’t really know if I am bipolar but I do av mood swings. Sometimes I feel so great and alive and long for things I ordinarily would not do like going dancing,feeling sexy etc I have tried so hard not to act on these impulses when I feel them. Sometimes I really feel so euphoric and just love that I am alive. During these times I just love everyone arnd me. There are those times I feel really smart and intelligent
Othertimes everything just seems normal. Sometimes I get irritable
Sometimes I feel really down, unloved and I av had thots abt taking the pain away by just ending it. I can be quite creative here. Sometimes my energy level can be quite low and I just want to lazy around
I have never really thot much abt my mood swings and just chalked it all down to being a woman, being in love, people just being mean to me or just part of life .
I will really like to have your take on this.
Thank you