Bipolar mania is defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as a "distinct period of unusual and persistent elevated, expansive or irritable mood that lasts at least one week, requires hospitalization, or results in psychosis." Not all people diagnosed with bipolar disorder experience bipolar mania. In fact, only people with Bipolar I experience full-blown mania–people with bipolar II experience a less intense, but still dangerous, form of mania called hypomania.
Skin issues and tinnitus are just a few physical signs of mania to be on the lookout for—recognizing them can help you be prepared. When you live your life in a perpetual hypomanic haze, like I did for years, it’s hard to know whether you’re simply feeling a natural high or if you’re on the...
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Manic episodes in bipolar I play out differently for different people, but often have scorching consequences. Learning about triggers, symptoms, and effective treatments is important. When Keely describes her first manic episode, she lists what might be considered “classic” symptoms. “I had lots of energy, a case of the giggles, and racing thoughts,” says...
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It’s all in the eyes! Mania profoundly affects the entire eye, from lids and lashes to pupils and color rings. It’s easy to see depression – at least the kind of depression we associate with slumped shoulders, feeling dead inside and crying. Depression shows on our faces like a book cover. But mania! Oh mania!...
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When you are in the midst of a depressive episode, mania can call to you like a Siren. Its song is alluring, promising you freedom and joy. But chasing the melody of mania is sure to lead to disaster and wreckage. I hate bipolar depression so much, I often think of taking a substance that...
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If bipolar disorder is a coin, its two sides are depression and mania. And, if you want to lead a stable life where you’re able to work and have long lasting relationships, both sides have to be managed. Bipolar disorder is a coin. It has two sides of equal weight and size. Think of it...
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Sleep: it’s so important for mood management, but (hypo)manic energy often makes it feel like a waste of time. To make sure you get your mandated shut-eye, harness that manic energy into healthy behaviors that promote sleep. Sweet dreams! We hear it from our therapists like a broken record: Regular, adequate sleep is of utmost...
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Riding the hypomania train can feel so great that you don’t want to get off––but it’s imperative that you do in order to effectively manage your bipolar. Bipolar disorder is defined as extreme changes in mood. The thrilling highs of mania and debilitating lows of depression are easy to recognize, but what about hypomania? Hypomania...
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Hypomania can be easy to dismiss––it often masquerades as joy, ambition, and productivity. Which is exactly why recognizing your hypomania ‘red flags’ is essential. Because I have bipolar disorder, I don’t experience the world like everyone else does. My highs are like a jet breaking the sound barrier. My lows are akin to detritus at...
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If you’re like me, your hypomanic episodes often spell financial trouble. Here’s how to pick up the pieces, and start rebuilding your finances. For those of us who’ve had a full-blown manic or hypomanic episode, we often find that we have done a lot of things that we wouldn’t normally have done. Whether this be...
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What if someone is telling you that you have bipolar, but you don’t think that the diagnosis is correct? A reader asked a really good question on my blog post “Dealing with Bipolar Disorder Denial.” She wanted to know what to do if someone in your life—a friend, loved one, coworker—tells you that they believe...
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When you’re having trouble finishing tasks or meeting deadlines, it’s not your to-do list you need to check, it’s your bipolar stability. Sometimes I find writing difficult in the most basic sense: the act of stringing words together to form a sentence can become impossible for me. My mind is so scattered that by the...
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The lessons I’ve learned from past manic episodes can help prevent future relapses. I’ve been living with severe bipolar I disorder for over fifteen years. I’ve had five full-blown manic episodes. That’s four relapses. After my first manic episode, I didn’t think I’d have another. It was horrible—the episode, the shock, and the aftermath....
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Are you in shock over holiday spending? Use these strategies to take control of your finances now and over the long term. Do you ever look back over the past year and wish you had made better financial decisions? I do. When it comes to holiday spending, you’re not alone if you’re wondering, What...
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Recent research is yielding insights into the links between bipolar disorder and creativity—and not just artistic accomplishment, but also innovative thinking and entrepreneurship. Author Virginia Woolf saw her artistry and her mood extremes as being inextricably linked. In a letter to a friend in 1930, she wrote of her “madness” that “in its lava,...
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It can be important to pay attention to how bipolar mania can impact not only your actions, but also your speech. I often talk about looking for signs of mania in our eyes in order to recognize and end mania. Observing what we say when manic is just as essential. Here is an example...
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Sticking to a budget and opting to spend cash only are simple ways you can control your spending while handling hypomania. Hi everybody, my name is Lisa Acuña and I’m here today with bphope.com vlogs. Today, I’m going to be talking about hypomania and spending during the holiday season. My first suggestion is...
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While mania may feel wonderful after enduring depression, it’s important to remember that it is still a crucial part of bipolar to manage. “Well, even in that deep misery I felt my energy revive, and I said to myself: in spite of everything I shall rise again, I will take up my pencil, which...
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It’s important to recognize the signs of mania—even if it feels good—and to remember the mania cycle can fuel the depressive cycle. Being ‘tricked by mania’ is pretty timely, as it just happened to me. About a week ago I went into a severe depression. I know what the triggers were, I know why it...
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A new study shows that a manic episode before bipolar depression does not impact the degree of change in depressive symptoms. August 15, 2018, BERKELEY, CA—The presence of a manic episode before depression in people with bipolar disorder doesn’t significantly predict response to antidepressants, a new study suggests. American researchers, noting a previous study suggested...
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Manic or hypomanic episodes can be brutal for those with bipolar disorder, but learning what to do immediately after can help minimize the damage If you’re like me and you have bipolar disorder, then you will have experienced at least one manic or hypomanic episode. And what’s pretty clear for those of us who have...
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Learning the subtle signs that mania is on the way, such as taking on too much, can help you manage this symptom before it starts taking over. Learning the very first signs of a bipolar mania mood swing is the only way I have found to stop big manic episodes. If I don’t catch my...
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You can learn ways to “train” your hypomania dragon to avoid impulsive decisions that can have lasting impacts on your life. Last month I discussed how bipolar depression affects my decision-making, specifically in terms of work. Now I’d like to address the impact of hypomania on my decisions and how these affect my relationships....
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The scary line between healthy feelings of joy and terrifying symptoms of acute mania isn’t nearly as narrow as I once thought. I love frogs. Have ever since I was a kid. Their beauty, diversity, and versatility fascinate me. And while I’m no herpetologist, I know more about frogs than the average person. Before you...
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