missing the mania?

[books4ever]

Anyone else miss the manic moments? I could get so much accomplished!  Now I guess I'm in a down slope, but even on a regular day, I just miss the high.

[jessmockingjay]

I just came down from hypomania recently. I'm starting a mood stabilizer tomorrow, and I already miss the high mood.. Ugh. I know it's for the better to be balanced, but I really do enjoy the highs.

[Bubulous]

What is so different this time than before?  This has also been one of the more severe downward spirals I have had in a while but I am on the other side of it now.
I realized a few things about myself that helped to bring me out of it.  I am not on meds right now and haven't been for a while.  I don't know whether going back on meds would have helped me or not in this situation but I didn't want to try it.  I may have made the suffering worse by not going back on my meds but I can't change that now.
I don't want to get into a discussion about whether meds are bad or good.  I believe they are both.  I am just experimenting right now with the whole thing.
What I realized about myself is complicated and I am still piecing it all together but it basically was what gets most of us which is loneliness.  Sure I had people around me so I wasn't all by myself but those people were not the ones that I needed.  I have a theory that I am going to have to branch out further in search of support and desire than I ever have in order to stay out of it this time.

[books4ever]

Thanks, everyone. I think I'm in a more severe downward space than I've been for a while and hearing from you all I believe a come-to-Jesus meeting is due for me and my doc.  

[Bubulous]

Let me clarify for my friend Tony...
Stability for me is still hypomania and some depression.  That being said I do enjoy it the mania, all of us do, but I just don't want to go up or down right now.  Ask me again in a few days lol
Now I see what you were talking about last night Tony.... :)

[weaver71]

I do awesome on hypo mania, which is how I feel now, but I have to be careful not to reach psychotic states. When I am depressed or having a full blown psychotic episode, I definitely miss hypo mania, it is the closest thing to normal I have ever known. So, I have to ask myself, do the benefits outweigh the costs? I have never felt what stable is like, no med has done that and I have never achieved it on my own, so I can't comment on that being better or worse. Much like how I had to deal with opiate addiction, I do know I have to gauge my mood and effectiveness based on progress and ability to complete tasks, that is the only measure I have, so hypo mania is the best I have ever known. I just said to my therapist that i feel as stable as I get, this is the real me. Well, she expressed worry, my creative ideas and talkativeness are worrying her. I am getting a lot done and have managed to repair many things in my life lately, so I am not worried. I do know I will reach a state where i will have to back off on trying to do things, or I will make them worse and go fully manic. I guess to answer your question, no, I don't miss mania, because I still feel it. If I had a med that kept me stable and productive, I would likely take it, at least for a long period of time to gain an idea of this "stability" idea people keep telling me about.

[Bubulous]

I have to echo what ILADVOCATE said.  Although I miss the mania I get a lot more done when I am not manic.  Not in a small amount of time but it is more focused and productive.  Productive in the sense that I am able to keep my inspiration going with stability which gives joy.
I do enjoy the mania and I know it will come again and when it does I will have a lot of fun but I do not wish for it anymore.  Although I do not wish for mania that doesn't mean that I am bored or melancholy.  I am actually very happy right now and am enjoying a life that is abundant with rewards.

[ILADVOCATE]

  Mania can often seem appealing. However it can interfere with a person's  ability to concentrate and focus on things. And make getting
things done actually more difficult. When people are manic (this often happens to me) they can start projects and then not be able to complete them.Often the focus on activities can be misdirected.
  The experience of depression can make a person miss manic episodes.
However what is most important is stability. It would be worthwhile to
discuss this with your psychiatrist so they can help the right combination of medications to achieve stability.  The mood tracker feature
can be helpful to see how things are progressing. Then print out
the results for your psychiatrist so they will be better able to help you.