I know WHO the real me is…. my question is WHAT is the real me in terms of energy, happiness, work ability etc. I often mistake hypomania for the ‘real me.’ I’ve written down all of my average behavior so that I can use it as a comparison when I think I’m in a mood swing. But the hypomania takes me by surprise a lot.
I can be hypomanic for only a few hours a day and not know it. When you rapid cycle a lot, you can miss the mania and then get broadsided by the depression.
I think the real me is gregarious, happy, focused, calm and industrious. I’m not over talkative- over sexual- over alcohol crazed and over the top! What about you?
Julie
If you click on the mania subject button to your right, you can read about the difference between hypomania and mania.
ok now you have confused me because now i have no idea who the REAL ME is. i guess i associate my hypomania as normal. now i don’t know anything really… i know that wasn’t your point to confuse me but i am confused…haha 🙂 or wow…
Wow can I relate. I was probably hypomanic through most of my high school career so I grew up thinking that was me. My mom just held on to my kite string as she called it and helped to moderate my ambition. I’ve been through major depressions since then but I tend to levitate up more than falling down. Right now I am so up. I feel great! I’ve cleaned my desk, my closet and my bathroom and I hate cleaning. I feel like I want to write but I can’t seem to get anything coherent down. But I am getting irritable because people are intruding on my little internal manic world. I’ve met you in Eugene twice. I am re-reading your books and referring to my health cards. Thanks so much for all you’ve done.