tattoos
06-28-2009, 12:18 PM
Does anyone see movies in there head when trying to sleep when you are manic or hypomanic? My sister does as well. It's like things morphing together, very vivid and sometimes with music...actually sometimes, referring to music, I will know all the lyrics to a song that I didn't really know fully before....kinda like a mini acid trip in my head (although I never tried acid but it's the only way I can explain it). It comes with racing thoughts as well. When I am not manic/hypomanic I don't or am unable to do it...sometimes I try because it can be an indicator for me. It was keeping me up last night...and there were some really freaky clowns that were scaring me. It's not a waking psychosis or anything as the visions resolve when I open my eyes.
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light the world
06-28-2009, 01:33 PM
Its never happened to me with movies but it has happened with videogames that I play. Its as if I can play the game myself in my head while I'm trying to fall asleep. Its really annoying though because I can never get to sleep when this happens or think of other things. And I have to say that this has never happened when I'm hypomanic or manic, just when I'm in a normal mood. I assume that this is just part of insomnia
tattoos
06-28-2009, 03:40 PM
Its never happened to me with movies but it has happened with videogames that I play. Its as if I can play the game myself in my head while I'm trying to fall asleep. Its really annoying though because I can never get to sleep when this happens or think of other things. And I have to say that this has never happened when I'm hypomanic or manic, just when I'm in a normal mood. I assume that this is just part of insomnia
Hmmmm....sometimes I don't know where I am in my cycling. I assume I am manic because I am crazy anxious usually that day and feel like I am living in a panic attack (don't have good euphoric moods). I switch so much from depression, suicidal to normal to edgy every darn 20 mins! Plus I expend so much energy suppressing and "controlling" what's going on inside to function and be "normal" in the world. Maybe it's just my mind letting everything out, I dunno. I hate all of this. Sorry for rambling. The only thing that's keeping me fighting, after all these years, is my son...I'm tired though.
***Oh also...it's not like I am seeing movies I have watched....but my mind is making them up and they are going a million miles a hour....shooting images that are very vivid and like a tripy movie ie...Living in Las Vegas (Johnny Depp movie.....think that's what it's called).
Hmmmm....sometimes I don't know where I am in my cycling. I assume I am manic because I am crazy anxious usually that day and feel like I am living in a panic attack (don't have good euphoric moods). I switch so much from depression, suicidal to normal to edgy every darn 20 mins! Plus I expend so much energy suppressing and "controlling" what's going on inside to function and be "normal" in the world. Maybe it's just my mind letting everything out, I dunno. I hate all of this. Sorry for rambling. The only thing that's keeping me fighting, after all these years, is my son...I'm tired though.
***Oh also...it's not like I am seeing movies I have watched....but my mind is making them up and they are going a million miles a hour....shooting images that are very vivid and like a tripy movie ie...Living in Las Vegas (Johnny Depp movie.....think that's what it's called).
light the world
06-28-2009, 03:49 PM
I understand. Kind of sounds like racing thoughts to me.
tattoos
06-28-2009, 04:45 PM
I understand. Kind of sounds like racing thoughts to me.
Ya. It's helpful when someone can understand, thank you. I wish I had a friend that I could talk to about this. A fellow bipolar I guess :). My mind is never on one thing. A million thoughts at once. It used to be good in college, well kinda, I did some amazing papers and cranked stuff out but now there isn't much good that comes with it now. Do you have any tips to help with that? Thanks.
Ya. It's helpful when someone can understand, thank you. I wish I had a friend that I could talk to about this. A fellow bipolar I guess :). My mind is never on one thing. A million thoughts at once. It used to be good in college, well kinda, I did some amazing papers and cranked stuff out but now there isn't much good that comes with it now. Do you have any tips to help with that? Thanks.
Llama
06-28-2009, 06:31 PM
tattoos, when I have racing thoughts I like to listen to soft music. I also try to be very mindful in my surroundings. Some people like to take a warm, relaxing bath or go for a walk to try to burn off some of that excess energy. It also may help to say to yourself, "These are racing thoughts and they are part of my bipolar and nothing more." It might help to acknowledge them and then try to move on from their annoying existance. Also, sometimes this works for me, but I almost FORCE myself to try and focus on only one thing. Like a very relaxing scene in my head. If my mind wanders, I try to pull it back to that scene. It is a skill that can be learned and used and will sometimes be helpful. Now if you were full blown manic, then it probably wouldn't help as much.
Hope that helps! :)
Hope that helps! :)
light the world
06-28-2009, 07:12 PM
Well when I get racing thoughts which actually is relativily rare for me. I just try to do something that isn't related to what I am thinking. Since this has always happened when I am trying to sleep I will usually read if it is not to difficult but ususally it is. Listen to music can be helpful. To be honest its been so long now since I've experienced this that I'm not really sure what to say to help with this.
dreams in neon
06-28-2009, 09:52 PM
I do the same as Llama when it comes to listening to soft music. I'm just now starting to learn mindfulness techniques with my new tdoc, so I'm hoping to put those into play as well. If my racing thoughts are severe, I like to type them out on the computer and do "free writing" where I type everything without punctuation just so I can distract myself from whatever my thoughts are trying to tell me. I also have a med that I take whenever I feel anxious and this helps calm down my racing thoughts as well.
cerajoan
06-29-2009, 01:44 AM
tattoos, I know what you're talking about. I get the same thing. It's not racing thoughts, it's just like you said, it's like watching a movie where all sorts of crazy stuff is moving at lightning speed, all morphing and changing. And they're not thoughts, they're vivid moving pictures. It drives me nuts. I have it in the daytime too. They are some sort of hallucination.
dreams in neon
06-29-2009, 03:29 AM
Does anyone see movies in there head when trying to sleep when you are manic or hypomanic? My sister does as well. It's like things morphing together, very vivid and sometimes with music...actually sometimes, referring to music, I will know all the lyrics to a song that I didn't really know fully before....kinda like a mini acid trip in my head (although I never tried acid but it's the only way I can explain it). It comes with racing thoughts as well. When I am not manic/hypomanic I don't or am unable to do it...sometimes I try because it can be an indicator for me. It was keeping me up last night...and there were some really freaky clowns that were scaring me. It's not a waking psychosis or anything as the visions resolve when I open my eyes.
I re-read your thread and am more convinced that what you are experiencing are hypnagogic hallucinations which are a normal phenomenon.
As far as experiencing hallucinations when one is hypomanic, that is not possible. A person can only become psychotic when they are in full blown mania.
I hallucinate (auditorily) whenever I'm manic or depressed. I also hear voices when I'm ill, stressed or sleep deprived.
I wouldn't be concerned about what you are experiencing. It sounds normal to me and nothing to be alarmed about.
I re-read your thread and am more convinced that what you are experiencing are hypnagogic hallucinations which are a normal phenomenon.
As far as experiencing hallucinations when one is hypomanic, that is not possible. A person can only become psychotic when they are in full blown mania.
I hallucinate (auditorily) whenever I'm manic or depressed. I also hear voices when I'm ill, stressed or sleep deprived.
I wouldn't be concerned about what you are experiencing. It sounds normal to me and nothing to be alarmed about.
Llama
06-29-2009, 10:23 PM
Dreams, I just have a question. If you can't be hypomanic and have psychosis, then why in the hospital did they change my diagnosis to bipolar 2 when I was clearly psychotic? They changed it that way because they said I have more problems with depression instead of mania. That was their reasoning.
Now my diagnosis is something different. I'm beginning to wonder if some of these pdocs even know what they are doing.
Now my diagnosis is something different. I'm beginning to wonder if some of these pdocs even know what they are doing.
light the world
06-29-2009, 10:28 PM
Do you experience psychosis when manic or is it just when you are depressed
Llama
06-29-2009, 10:29 PM
I have experienced hallucinations while manic, and have heard voices while depressed.
dreams in neon
06-29-2009, 11:30 PM
Dreams, I just have a question. If you can't be hypomanic and have psychosis, then why in the hospital did they change my diagnosis to bipolar 2 when I was clearly psychotic? They changed it that way because they said I have more problems with depression instead of mania. That was their reasoning.
Now my diagnosis is something different. I'm beginning to wonder if some of these pdocs even know what they are doing.
You can only experience psychosis when you are full blown manic or depressed.
I experience hallucinations whenever I'm manic or severely depressed.
They probably changed your diagnosis to BPII from schizoaffective since you display more depressive symptoms and hypomania than full blown mania and depression. That's my guess although I can't say for sure.
Now my diagnosis is something different. I'm beginning to wonder if some of these pdocs even know what they are doing.
You can only experience psychosis when you are full blown manic or depressed.
I experience hallucinations whenever I'm manic or severely depressed.
They probably changed your diagnosis to BPII from schizoaffective since you display more depressive symptoms and hypomania than full blown mania and depression. That's my guess although I can't say for sure.
dreams in neon
06-29-2009, 11:33 PM
I have experienced hallucinations while manic, and have heard voices while depressed.
I'd talk to your pdoc about your diagnosis. If you've heard voices while full blown manic or depressed, your diagnosis would be BPI with psychotic features, schizoaffective or atypical BP.
My original diagnosis was schizoaffective bipolar type due to my manic/psychotic episode 3 years ago, but it was changed to rapid cycling BPI after I started rapid cycling. It was changed yet again (to what I think is accurate) to atypical BPI with ultradian rapid cycling due to how quickly I cycle as well as my voices, delusions and paranoia.
I've also had quite a few full blown manic episodes since my manic/psychotic episode in 2006 which included psychosis although not to the point where I lost orientation x3.
I'd talk to your pdoc about your diagnosis. If you've heard voices while full blown manic or depressed, your diagnosis would be BPI with psychotic features, schizoaffective or atypical BP.
My original diagnosis was schizoaffective bipolar type due to my manic/psychotic episode 3 years ago, but it was changed to rapid cycling BPI after I started rapid cycling. It was changed yet again (to what I think is accurate) to atypical BPI with ultradian rapid cycling due to how quickly I cycle as well as my voices, delusions and paranoia.
I've also had quite a few full blown manic episodes since my manic/psychotic episode in 2006 which included psychosis although not to the point where I lost orientation x3.
Llama
06-29-2009, 11:53 PM
The pdocs at the first hospital said I was bp1. Then at the state hospital they said I was bp2, then they said I was schizoaffective bipolar type.
dreams in neon
06-29-2009, 11:58 PM
The pdocs at the first hospital said I was bp1. Then at the state hospital they said I was bp2, then they said I was schizoaffective bipolar type.
Diagnoses can change from one pdoc to another. I've had 3 different BP diagnoses (schizoaffective BP type, rapid cycling BPI and atypical BPI with ultradian rapid cycling).
Let me ask you this...do you hear voices when you are in a normal (i.e. level) mood?
Diagnoses can change from one pdoc to another. I've had 3 different BP diagnoses (schizoaffective BP type, rapid cycling BPI and atypical BPI with ultradian rapid cycling).
Let me ask you this...do you hear voices when you are in a normal (i.e. level) mood?
dreams in neon
06-30-2009, 12:01 AM
Treatment for BPI, BPII and schizoaffective BP type are pretty much the same. The only exception is that antipsychotics are used more often with schizoaffective to help control voices, delusions and/or paranoia.
dreams in neon
06-30-2009, 12:07 AM
I wanted to add that because people with BPII do not experience full blown mania, they cannot become psychotic. This is what differentiates BPI from BPII. (i.e. full blown/severe mania vs. hypomania/mild mania)
cerajoan
06-30-2009, 02:03 AM
Dreams, even though someone with BPII doesn't get full blown mania (so doesn't get psychotic with it), couldn't they still have psychosis with their depression?
dreams in neon
06-30-2009, 02:29 AM
Dreams, even though someone with BPII doesn't get full blown mania (so doesn't get psychotic with it), couldn't they still have psychosis with their depression?
Yes they can. Thank you for pointing that out. When this is the case, they are diagnosed as having BPII with psychotic features.
Yes they can. Thank you for pointing that out. When this is the case, they are diagnosed as having BPII with psychotic features.
dreams in neon
06-30-2009, 02:33 AM
I should have clarified that when I referred to psychosis and the difference between BPI and BPII, I was talking about mania and hypomania -- not depression.
People with BPI and BPII can experience psychosis when they are depressed.
I appreciate cerajoan pointing this out so I could clarify what I meant. Sorry for the confusion!
People with BPI and BPII can experience psychosis when they are depressed.
I appreciate cerajoan pointing this out so I could clarify what I meant. Sorry for the confusion!