Bipolar Disorder and Hypomania

Lovely mania.. not!

I float a lot when I’m depressed. As my brother said, it’s like I spend all day working hard to get nothing done! My hypomania is so different. I get it all done in one day!

I love hypomania- the good, euphoric, mildly up kind. It’s the best drug in the world. The problem is that in the 30 years (OMG!) I have had hypomania, it has never stayed good for very long. Before I knew how to treat and ultimately prevent it, the mania was very destructive. It only felt good, but it wasn’t good. Right now I am feeling better than I have in a long time. I’m getting work done- my thoughts seem normal and I’m really sticking to a positive view on life despite these interesting economic times.

How do I know if this is the beginning of hypomania? That is always a question for me. I can look at my mania Health Card and see the definite signs that I’m going up. I can check my sleep patterns, see if my thoughts are grandiose or if I don’t feel like eating.

Managing this illness is 100% about catching symptoms before they go too far. It’s also the purpose of our medications and the only way for us to stay stable. Some people can take meds and get back to a normal life where bipolar is in the background. Their checks and balances don’t have to be as stringent. I have mood swings 99% of the year, so I have to be vigilant! This is why I am questioning my good mood. A few weeks ago when my meds weren’t working I was suicidal. Now, I feel pretty darn good. This is not a good sign and I can’t ignore it. But I can get a lot of work done!

Julie

PS: It was one day of hypomania and then it was gone. I am glad I did not go too far down afterwards. If you are new to bipolar disorder terms, you can look up mania on the menu to the right. It explains the different types of mania: hypomania and full blown mania. You can also read about rapid cycling.