A reader recently asked me about one of my Instagram posts called How Do I Know If I’m Euphoric Manic?
The image above is from the post. She writes:
Julie, You recently wrote somewhere that when you’re in a mania you are narcissistic, but you seem empathetic can you explain?
Bev
Hello Bev!
Mania is the most narcissistic of all mood swings. Our frontal lobes are turned off and all we care about is our own pleasure. This creates the narcissistic behavior. But at the same time, euphoric manic is very upbeat, expansive and social. We give the appearance that we’re thinking of other people. In reality, we just want people to join us on our adventures.
– We don’t listen.
– We don’t do what others ask us to do.
– We focus on what our brain tells us to do and rarely think of the needs of others.
– We want to show people what we have accomplished.
But we will hug, kiss, appear interested, be very dramatic, sound supportive and be positive around others. It’s still all about us.
This is a typical bipolar disorder symptom. We know it’s bipolar as it is episodic and is in direct contrast of how a person would normally behavior. This narcissism ends when the mania ends. If a person you care about is always narcissistic, it’s not bipolar disorder.
I had to teach myself to say no to the good feelings I associate with euphoric mania. I am SO selfish and I harm others with my lack of empathy. I truly believe that ending the hold mania had on my life has changed my life for the better.
Thanks for your question!
Julie
➡️ Resources
Click here to read the original Instagram post.
Watch a video on bipolar mania and the frontal lobes from the wonderful Dr. Jay Carter.
Letter from a Euphoric Manic Person from Bp Magazine for Bipolar Disorder.
