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How To Spot Hypomania in Yourself? Signs?
I know its easy to tell someone they are hypomanic. But what about yourself? And that full blow mania is frightening. But hypomania can seem like "fun" but it quickly spirals into full blown mania. We've all experienced it. Including myself. And aren't always self aware. But how can we stop it before it gets worse?
For myself signs of hypomania (remember its complex because I have schizoaffective)
include:
contacting people I hardly know, feelings that "I love everyone" (elation), hypersexuality, overspending, feelings of paranoia (people who are annoying become "threatening"), doing passive aggressive or hostile pranks (in the past), self medicating with natural remedies (in the past), drinking large amounts of caffeinated beverages (in the past), overstating my important/thinking I could "change the world", unable to concentrate on tasks but becoming obssessed with something unimportant.
Right now I am to the point where I can spot this and catch it before it gets worse. Can you? What happens with you?
Can you stop it? And could you learn?
For myself signs of hypomania (remember its complex because I have schizoaffective)
include:
contacting people I hardly know, feelings that "I love everyone" (elation), hypersexuality, overspending, feelings of paranoia (people who are annoying become "threatening"), doing passive aggressive or hostile pranks (in the past), self medicating with natural remedies (in the past), drinking large amounts of caffeinated beverages (in the past), overstating my important/thinking I could "change the world", unable to concentrate on tasks but becoming obssessed with something unimportant.
Right now I am to the point where I can spot this and catch it before it gets worse. Can you? What happens with you?
Can you stop it? And could you learn?
I do have to keep inventory, but not a whole lot, and the items range from like a 3x3x7 inch box on the large end to very small things. I have to spend a few thousand $ every couple of months to replenish in general.
Yes, in regards to energy, I've heard that very overweight people are the same way because it takes so much effort for them to do things. Also, because of my memory problems, I particularly liked computer programming because I could figure out how to do something, do it well, code it, and not have to remember it in the future - more or less. It also drove me to at least attempt to be the best programmer that I could be because I didn't or couldn't stand to go back and figure out how to fix stuff in the future.
The shower thing is weird, it drains me, but it also makes me feel better and more relaxed as well. Might be a good idea to take one before going to bed eh?
By the way, I was serious about Oprah. I honestly suggest that you go to Oprah's website and send them an email telling her/them about yourself and your dreams. It's admittedly a long shot, but at least it IS a shot. And you never know. And, just by the act of doing it, it may stimulate ways in which you can accomplish the same goals in other ways if Oprah doesn't respond. For me, if I were you, this would be a definite candidate for a potentially insightful hypomanic focus episode. :)
Cleaning is great, and great feng shui (sp?) as well. I wish I could stir up some cleaning hypomania, as I have a hell of a time with stuff building up all over the place that I don't have the energy to effectively and decisively deal with. I know that the fact of this stuff around eats up my energy. A saying comes to mind: you don't own things, they own you. I salute your cleaning and respectfully ask you to shoot some this way whenever you have an overabundance. :)
Yes! Yes! Design! Over the summer I got myself into numerous projects where I was designing stuff in a CAD program, I did some great work. Whether I'll actually ever use the stuff is another question, but it has definite potential, was very well thought out and designed, and I had a heck of a fun time doing it.
Brings back good memories. I grew up in Florida and surfed when I was a teenager, and hadn't gone surfing for probably 27 years or so. Last summer, while undetectedly hypomanic, I bought 3 surfboards and went surfing with my wife and son. I was terribly out of shape and it was a bit scary, but it was really fun, and my wife and son also really enjoyed trying it. Since we're in the cold waters of Oregon, we all had to get wetsuits to do it, but we were in no way alone out there, lots of people doing it and trying to do it, from youngsters to guys and gals 60+ years old. I'm really hoping that I still like it when the warmer weather comes back. That's a weird thing about the hypomanic stuff too, I never know if I'll enjoy again later what I find enjoyable during the episode. Kind of sad. I long to enjoy things.
I digress, maybe I'm not quite out of that hypomanic juice after all. My point is that in addition to work related projects, I started designing skimboards in the CAD program as well, took the boards that I designed and made to the beach and had a blast with them. And I also took a bit of a beating once when one didn't perform very well. In turn, this then led me up to surfing again. I get completely obsessive as well, I live to fulfill whatever I have to do so that I appear somewhat reasonable, so that I can go back to obsessing on whatever projects I'm working on. I try to control it to some degree, and my wife is used to it as well, so it generally isn't too destructive.
In terms of reading the whole book thing, for me, part of what happens is that I know all to well, if no more than in the back of my mind, that I need to get stuff done quickly while I have the energy to do it, because before long I won't be able to do a damn thing again.
I'm trying to be very diligent and focused on not sliding down into the pit if at all possible. I have meds now, and I'm not afraid to use 'em. :) I'm sleeping very badly as well, with the same whole body restless leg type thing going just like you. In fact I went to a nurse practitioner last night hoping for some meds to help with it, but I think that she was too freaked out by the fact that I'm bipolar to give me anything, which challenged me to keep my frustration and temper in check, though I also understood her concerns.
Strange too that she has restless leg stuff as well, but not the whole body thing like us. She did tell me that the whole body twitch/spasm/convulsion thing that I have isn't restless legs, but that people who have RLS are more susceptible for this thing. She couldn't remember the name that is given to it, but told me that she would try to look it up and email it to me. I also have strange itches or really more like tickles, especially near or in my ears and on my cheeks. It feels just like there are hairs that are tickling my face, but there is no hair there.
I gauge myself on my sense of humor as well. If I get to where nothing is funny anymore and I don't look for what is funny, I know that I'm in bad shape. You are just a kick in the pants to me, a true delight for your sense of humor. I have the great fortune of having a wife that is also delightfully funny. This leads amazingly into your next question. Just recently, and a couple of different times, I have laughed really hard, and questionably inappropriately - both times with my wife. But I laugh inappropriately when I'm depressed sometimes too, out of nervousness or whatever, when I wish I weren't laughing but can't help myself. I think laughing is healing, no matter where it comes. I apologize if necessary, but I don't usually feel bad about it.
If I had your great sense of humor running around in my head all the time, I may have a problem with laughing too much - but I'd just buck up and take it. :)
Yes, in regards to energy, I've heard that very overweight people are the same way because it takes so much effort for them to do things. Also, because of my memory problems, I particularly liked computer programming because I could figure out how to do something, do it well, code it, and not have to remember it in the future - more or less. It also drove me to at least attempt to be the best programmer that I could be because I didn't or couldn't stand to go back and figure out how to fix stuff in the future.
The shower thing is weird, it drains me, but it also makes me feel better and more relaxed as well. Might be a good idea to take one before going to bed eh?
By the way, I was serious about Oprah. I honestly suggest that you go to Oprah's website and send them an email telling her/them about yourself and your dreams. It's admittedly a long shot, but at least it IS a shot. And you never know. And, just by the act of doing it, it may stimulate ways in which you can accomplish the same goals in other ways if Oprah doesn't respond. For me, if I were you, this would be a definite candidate for a potentially insightful hypomanic focus episode. :)
Cleaning is great, and great feng shui (sp?) as well. I wish I could stir up some cleaning hypomania, as I have a hell of a time with stuff building up all over the place that I don't have the energy to effectively and decisively deal with. I know that the fact of this stuff around eats up my energy. A saying comes to mind: you don't own things, they own you. I salute your cleaning and respectfully ask you to shoot some this way whenever you have an overabundance. :)
Yes! Yes! Design! Over the summer I got myself into numerous projects where I was designing stuff in a CAD program, I did some great work. Whether I'll actually ever use the stuff is another question, but it has definite potential, was very well thought out and designed, and I had a heck of a fun time doing it.
Brings back good memories. I grew up in Florida and surfed when I was a teenager, and hadn't gone surfing for probably 27 years or so. Last summer, while undetectedly hypomanic, I bought 3 surfboards and went surfing with my wife and son. I was terribly out of shape and it was a bit scary, but it was really fun, and my wife and son also really enjoyed trying it. Since we're in the cold waters of Oregon, we all had to get wetsuits to do it, but we were in no way alone out there, lots of people doing it and trying to do it, from youngsters to guys and gals 60+ years old. I'm really hoping that I still like it when the warmer weather comes back. That's a weird thing about the hypomanic stuff too, I never know if I'll enjoy again later what I find enjoyable during the episode. Kind of sad. I long to enjoy things.
I digress, maybe I'm not quite out of that hypomanic juice after all. My point is that in addition to work related projects, I started designing skimboards in the CAD program as well, took the boards that I designed and made to the beach and had a blast with them. And I also took a bit of a beating once when one didn't perform very well. In turn, this then led me up to surfing again. I get completely obsessive as well, I live to fulfill whatever I have to do so that I appear somewhat reasonable, so that I can go back to obsessing on whatever projects I'm working on. I try to control it to some degree, and my wife is used to it as well, so it generally isn't too destructive.
In terms of reading the whole book thing, for me, part of what happens is that I know all to well, if no more than in the back of my mind, that I need to get stuff done quickly while I have the energy to do it, because before long I won't be able to do a damn thing again.
I'm trying to be very diligent and focused on not sliding down into the pit if at all possible. I have meds now, and I'm not afraid to use 'em. :) I'm sleeping very badly as well, with the same whole body restless leg type thing going just like you. In fact I went to a nurse practitioner last night hoping for some meds to help with it, but I think that she was too freaked out by the fact that I'm bipolar to give me anything, which challenged me to keep my frustration and temper in check, though I also understood her concerns.
Strange too that she has restless leg stuff as well, but not the whole body thing like us. She did tell me that the whole body twitch/spasm/convulsion thing that I have isn't restless legs, but that people who have RLS are more susceptible for this thing. She couldn't remember the name that is given to it, but told me that she would try to look it up and email it to me. I also have strange itches or really more like tickles, especially near or in my ears and on my cheeks. It feels just like there are hairs that are tickling my face, but there is no hair there.
I gauge myself on my sense of humor as well. If I get to where nothing is funny anymore and I don't look for what is funny, I know that I'm in bad shape. You are just a kick in the pants to me, a true delight for your sense of humor. I have the great fortune of having a wife that is also delightfully funny. This leads amazingly into your next question. Just recently, and a couple of different times, I have laughed really hard, and questionably inappropriately - both times with my wife. But I laugh inappropriately when I'm depressed sometimes too, out of nervousness or whatever, when I wish I weren't laughing but can't help myself. I think laughing is healing, no matter where it comes. I apologize if necessary, but I don't usually feel bad about it.
If I had your great sense of humor running around in my head all the time, I may have a problem with laughing too much - but I'd just buck up and take it. :)
The business sounds interesting. Do you have to keep a lot of inventory? It's good to have something that doesn't require a lot of time. Very smart considering how the energy level can fluctuate. I am impressed that depression helped make you more efficient. I try to look for the fastest ways to do things, but it doesn't always work out. I never would have thought to associate it with depression, but you've got me wondering why I value efficiency so much. It would be logical for it to be associated with that.
You know it totally struck home when you said a shower could use up all your energy. That is the way I am and people do not understand. I was talking to my mom about it and she didn't get it at all. My husband kinda gets it, but it's a strange concept for him. The funny thing is that I'm noticing now that it doesn't matter if I'm depressed or not. It is just plain tiring. It used to be that it was worse if I was depressed. Now, it is all the time and might be the only time I'm tired for days.
I think my husband is working in Chicago again next, so I'll ask him to hook up with Oprah for me, LOL!!! It would be awesome to help people like that, though. It'd be the kind of job that didn't feel like a job at all.
I guess I shouldn't act as though cleaning with a toothbrush is unimportant. Cleaning in general - or at least cleanliness - is reasonably important to most people. I think it's admirable that you are focused and productive when you're hypomanic. I have not channeled that in a meaningful direction since I was in school. No, I take that back. I have designed dozens of houses on 3D Home Architect. That was truly productive - at least the first few. We were actually planning to build and so those were hours, days, weeks and months well-spent. I was deep in the details. Then, we had a dry hole when we tried to dig the well and had to abandon the whole thing. So maybe occasionally I am focused. My memory is so bad that I couldn't say, but I do know that if I am focused, it must be on things that are not concrete projects. I'm not creating any evidence... I can still drive my husband nuts because most things I do end up bringing out my obsessive side. When I can read, I have to read the whole book. I do not want to put them down. I'll even avoid going to the bathroom until I'm dying because I don't want to stop reading. I don't know if I'd attribute that to bipolar, though. It's more a kind of immaturity where I need that instant gratification. Of course it's not "instant", but it's more immediate than a lot of things in life.
I hope you are feeling okay. Low on hypomanic juice is one thing, but sliding down, down, down is not great. I'm a real yo-yo these days and cannot figure out what is happening. I don't have a lot of hypo symptoms at the moment, but I am still not sleeping well and have the whole restless legs in my whole body feeling when it is time to go to bed. I've felt pretty decent all day today but I'm antsy as all get-out now with my leg bouncing and mystery itches all over. Weird. Thanks again for thinking I'm funny. As long as I have a (pleasant) sense of humor, I don't worry as much about myself even if something isn't right. It's when the humor turns mean-spirited that I get concerned. Or when it completely disappears.
Do you find yourself wondering about your emotional state if you are laughing a lot? I don't trust myself right now and I questioned it when I laughed out loud earlier today. I felt like it was a little too loud and a little too long. Just curious. I guess I really cannot tell what state I'm in any more, so I'm suspicious.
Well, many loud, long laughs to you. :-)
You know it totally struck home when you said a shower could use up all your energy. That is the way I am and people do not understand. I was talking to my mom about it and she didn't get it at all. My husband kinda gets it, but it's a strange concept for him. The funny thing is that I'm noticing now that it doesn't matter if I'm depressed or not. It is just plain tiring. It used to be that it was worse if I was depressed. Now, it is all the time and might be the only time I'm tired for days.
I think my husband is working in Chicago again next, so I'll ask him to hook up with Oprah for me, LOL!!! It would be awesome to help people like that, though. It'd be the kind of job that didn't feel like a job at all.
I guess I shouldn't act as though cleaning with a toothbrush is unimportant. Cleaning in general - or at least cleanliness - is reasonably important to most people. I think it's admirable that you are focused and productive when you're hypomanic. I have not channeled that in a meaningful direction since I was in school. No, I take that back. I have designed dozens of houses on 3D Home Architect. That was truly productive - at least the first few. We were actually planning to build and so those were hours, days, weeks and months well-spent. I was deep in the details. Then, we had a dry hole when we tried to dig the well and had to abandon the whole thing. So maybe occasionally I am focused. My memory is so bad that I couldn't say, but I do know that if I am focused, it must be on things that are not concrete projects. I'm not creating any evidence... I can still drive my husband nuts because most things I do end up bringing out my obsessive side. When I can read, I have to read the whole book. I do not want to put them down. I'll even avoid going to the bathroom until I'm dying because I don't want to stop reading. I don't know if I'd attribute that to bipolar, though. It's more a kind of immaturity where I need that instant gratification. Of course it's not "instant", but it's more immediate than a lot of things in life.
I hope you are feeling okay. Low on hypomanic juice is one thing, but sliding down, down, down is not great. I'm a real yo-yo these days and cannot figure out what is happening. I don't have a lot of hypo symptoms at the moment, but I am still not sleeping well and have the whole restless legs in my whole body feeling when it is time to go to bed. I've felt pretty decent all day today but I'm antsy as all get-out now with my leg bouncing and mystery itches all over. Weird. Thanks again for thinking I'm funny. As long as I have a (pleasant) sense of humor, I don't worry as much about myself even if something isn't right. It's when the humor turns mean-spirited that I get concerned. Or when it completely disappears.
Do you find yourself wondering about your emotional state if you are laughing a lot? I don't trust myself right now and I questioned it when I laughed out loud earlier today. I felt like it was a little too loud and a little too long. Just curious. I guess I really cannot tell what state I'm in any more, so I'm suspicious.
Well, many loud, long laughs to you. :-)
I hope you get back to Weatherford. I found the Dallas area over-stimulating. I loved the downtown Dallas skyline, though. I still love the view flying in and out of there at night. I think we were more Ft. Worth type people but stuck over on the Dallas side - if that makes sense. Ft. Worth always seemed a lot more laidback and the people were nicer. Dallas was busy and chaotic. We mostly lived in the burbs, Plano and Garland, but there still seemed to be a lot of traffic and people. My favorite big cities in Texas are Austin and San Antonio. If you haven't been there and have a chance to go, I'd recommend them. Completely different vibe than Dallas. Almost everywhere we've been in Texas still has the same crazy, fast drivers.
I'm sorry you are wondering about the dementia, etc., too. It is terrifying, though. It's not completely irrational because it could happen, unlike 99% of the other stuff we can get obsessed with sometimes. I usually try not to think about it too much. It becomes a preoccupation so fast. I can't help thinking about it a lot now because of spending so much time with my grandmother. Hope you aren't thinking about it too much.
I'm sorry you are wondering about the dementia, etc., too. It is terrifying, though. It's not completely irrational because it could happen, unlike 99% of the other stuff we can get obsessed with sometimes. I usually try not to think about it too much. It becomes a preoccupation so fast. I can't help thinking about it a lot now because of spending so much time with my grandmother. Hope you aren't thinking about it too much.
Gosh...everyone has so much to say, it is so refreshing reading others view on hypomania....I like others seems to have lots of energy and can tackle anywathing constantly want to do things...also get extremely irritable tho...along with vivid dreams which can be quite disturbing. I cannot get myself out of this state although at times I try and talk myself out of depression which always seems to follow! Am coming down right now...feeling extremely tired worthless and struggling to feel/be positive. Here we go again!!!
Sorry it took so long to respond. I'm running low on hypomanic juice, so I'm not able to do as much posting anymore.
The Internet business is great because it is really low maintenance to keep it up and running. I set it all up about 6 years ago when I was still programming and had more energy in general.
Basically, it's a retail store for a very niche market, and since it's on the Internet, it's open 24/365 and it's international. It's still working for me if I'm feeling horrible, in bed, or whatever. I can pick my times when I work to print up orders, pack and ship them, do customer service email, reorder, etc. I only have to work at it for a couple of hours a few times a week for the most part. It's great because I have it down to an easy routine. Because of the depression, I've become an efficiency expert, finding the easiest and simplest ways of getting things done. I don't mind doing it, and I'm not excited about it either. I am very grateful that it does give us some income, plus it is very inexpensive overhead because I run it all from home.
I go days without bathing as well, just can't quite face getting in the shower because I'm either too tired to get in or I feel like the effort of taking the shower will finish me off energy wise. I still wanna smoke them damn things, but I quit in 1992.
Yes, I do disappear too. I do it because I don't have the energy to do anything, and most of all, some sort of emotionally charged interaction with somebody. And it seems that I'm highly likely to p*** somebody off when I'm depressed, and get some b.s. started up. So I try to hide out and stay away from all of that as much as possible.
Your plans for what you'd like to do sound really cool. I think you should try to get together with Oprah and she can pay you and send you around to do all of those things.
It's true about the hypomania having a focus, it almost always does, which leads me to believe that it's because I get all worked up and excited about something which triggers a hypomanic episode. I think that I used to do it all the time with computer projects of one sort or another, though I didn't know that it was fueled by hypomania at the time. I remember that it often made my wife really mad because I was completely obsessed and glued to my computer. In fact in remembering right now, I can remember one time and it was definitely hypomania driven. It's kind of like something says, hey, he's really excited about this, lets give him a break and shoot some energy his way so that he can actually do something for a change.
You're still crackin' me up :)
The Internet business is great because it is really low maintenance to keep it up and running. I set it all up about 6 years ago when I was still programming and had more energy in general.
Basically, it's a retail store for a very niche market, and since it's on the Internet, it's open 24/365 and it's international. It's still working for me if I'm feeling horrible, in bed, or whatever. I can pick my times when I work to print up orders, pack and ship them, do customer service email, reorder, etc. I only have to work at it for a couple of hours a few times a week for the most part. It's great because I have it down to an easy routine. Because of the depression, I've become an efficiency expert, finding the easiest and simplest ways of getting things done. I don't mind doing it, and I'm not excited about it either. I am very grateful that it does give us some income, plus it is very inexpensive overhead because I run it all from home.
I go days without bathing as well, just can't quite face getting in the shower because I'm either too tired to get in or I feel like the effort of taking the shower will finish me off energy wise. I still wanna smoke them damn things, but I quit in 1992.
Yes, I do disappear too. I do it because I don't have the energy to do anything, and most of all, some sort of emotionally charged interaction with somebody. And it seems that I'm highly likely to p*** somebody off when I'm depressed, and get some b.s. started up. So I try to hide out and stay away from all of that as much as possible.
Your plans for what you'd like to do sound really cool. I think you should try to get together with Oprah and she can pay you and send you around to do all of those things.
It's true about the hypomania having a focus, it almost always does, which leads me to believe that it's because I get all worked up and excited about something which triggers a hypomanic episode. I think that I used to do it all the time with computer projects of one sort or another, though I didn't know that it was fueled by hypomania at the time. I remember that it often made my wife really mad because I was completely obsessed and glued to my computer. In fact in remembering right now, I can remember one time and it was definitely hypomania driven. It's kind of like something says, hey, he's really excited about this, lets give him a break and shoot some energy his way so that he can actually do something for a change.
You're still crackin' me up :)
I am with you on the march - 3 generations BOTH sides of dementia and Alzheimer's and have always joked that I wanted mine early so I could see what it looked like - but really it is kind of terrifying.
AND, yes, traffic in Dallas is horrific, especially driving toward Fort Worth. My favorite town in the WHOLE world, I would say is Weatherford, though. I love that place. I was born in Dallas and got to travel there when I worked for a bank a few years ago. They would want us to rent these little economy cars - and I was like, "ARE YOU CRAZY!? These people drive 100 mph - on a slow day!" I want to go back there one day. LOVE Texas.
Rach
AND, yes, traffic in Dallas is horrific, especially driving toward Fort Worth. My favorite town in the WHOLE world, I would say is Weatherford, though. I love that place. I was born in Dallas and got to travel there when I worked for a bank a few years ago. They would want us to rent these little economy cars - and I was like, "ARE YOU CRAZY!? These people drive 100 mph - on a slow day!" I want to go back there one day. LOVE Texas.
Rach
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