I have been up all night and managed to sleep about one hour with my mind never shutting up. It went the whole range of thoughts dwelling a lot on sex......but I didn't want to wake up my poor wife, she had such a hard day at work so I just suffered.:dizzy: Pointless sex thoughts in otherwords. I also thought of cleaning and did some, of being on the computer and was, etc..

What is racing thoughts? What do they mean by this for Bipolar Disorder people in the manic stage? I question my disorder because I just don't want it to be true.

What is everyones experience in racing thoughts???

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Racing thoughts are pretty much just that. Ideas and thoughts come so rapidly that you can't keep up with them. They came in multiples so that instead of "thinking" about one thing, you may have thoughts of six or seven different things all at one time. Before one thought is complete it is replaced by another and another and another...all whizzing into your head, bombarding you, all going off at once, like a fireworks display. Does that make sense?

Yes that does make sense. Last night I had a little racing thoughts but other nights I have been bombarded with them. Even to the point of not being able to do anything but hold my head in my hands.

Both racing thoughts and hypersexuality are a symptom of bipolar disorder - are you on medication at all?

Racing thoughts for me can also mean i sing the thoughts and then rhyme them. if they are action thoughts i start the action 'go up upstairs' and it is quickly added to 'pick up toy' 'collect washing', 'dust piano' until i am literally thinking and doing 20things at once - not very successfully. In a social environment other folks cannot keep up with you, get scared and are also very aware of your hypersexuality. Sounds like your in hypomania to me.

Ugh ... "racing thoughts" are my personal demons. I suffered from insomnia for months before I hit a horrible depression which nearly left me on the psych ward, and then was finally diagnosed as BP2.

I used to try to combat my thoughts by writing down lists to try to get them "out of my head". Yah, that didn't go over so well. Then I just became a compulsive list maker.

I am still working with a therapist to try behaviours that can get me "out" of my head. Im taking 25mg of seroquel at night, and it's been a lifesaver.

Someone suggested listening to quiet acoustic/folk music at night and to try to sing along to the lyrics as a way to keep my mind occupied until I was tired enough to sleep.

Lately, I've been playing a lot of scrabble on my laptop in bed until I can no longer keep my eyes open ... that way I dont get into the "thought process" and it won't get out of control.

What else do you guys do to try to stop them ? (Aside from just meds )

You just described what happens to me and I'm bipolar. you need to talk to a doc.:angel:

GABA is involved in our level of excitability. With GABA levels below average, the brain is too stimulated. We begin talking rapidly, staying up for days at a time.Low levels of GABA are associated with bipolar disorder, mania, panic attacks, epilepsy and seizure disorders.

High levels of GABA produce more control, relaxation, and even sedation. Alcohol works by increasing GABA levels, which is why all body systems are relaxed at first – then sedated to the point of slurred speech, unsteady gait, and foggy thinking. Alcohol withdrawal, or the sudden severe drop of high GABA levels produce low gaba levels and the possibilty of a seizure or panic attack.

Medications for seizures, impulse control problems, and Bipolar Disorder, Mania all work by increasing the GABA levels without accompanying euphoria. Lithium and anti-seizure medications all increase GABA into the normal range.

I seem to have excesive racing thoughts during a bad hangover and sometimes full blown panic attacks, when I realized this occurance I decided to do some research and found some really interesting facts. I've even heard someone say that if you already have problems with low gaba at the moment
and drink too much then you are basicaly asking for a panic attack.

There is a supplement for gaba but do not take it because it can offset gaba receptors in the brain. The best cure for a panic attack is one glass of wine - not the whole bottle.

^ hmm, interesting

I was recently diagnosed with Bipolar 1, I also have OCD.

I am very convinced that I had BD since I was a teenager. Having it explains a lot in my life. Recently, it has been flaring its ugly head and haunting me everywhere. I am lucky I still have a job, family, life.

I am trying to understand in laymans terms, what these different aspects of being bipolar means. These medical book definations are not making a whole bit of sense to me.

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Perhaps a book will help? I just asked for book recommendations for my family to understand this whole bipolar thing better the other day and got quite a few excellent suggestions. You can scroll down on the second page of the forum and find it or get to it by this link: http://www.healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=471034