I had a manic episode this past fall. During it everybody thought i was cool and i was never nervous around people. I met a bunch of people and girls loved me too. Is there anyway that i could become manic again but in a controlled fashion. Because now i am really nervous and anxious around people. If so what things could i do to become slightly manic. Because I really enjoyed my manic phase.
ummmm...well I can honestly say this is a first. I don't think there is a way to cause yourself to be manic on purpose. And really I'm not sure why anyone would want to...but that's just my opinion.
As far as my mania is concerned, I LOVE my mania at the beginning of an episode, but hate it towards the middle and end because that's when I become extremely angry/irritable and depressed. I'm still trying to get my rapid cycling under control so that I'm not manic all the time, but I just started a new med which I'm hoping will reduce my cycling so I can start to feel level more often than not. As I said, I love my manias at the beginning of an episode, but if I had a choice between feeling manic vs. feeling level, I'd choose feeling level since I'm not cycling between one mood and another.
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Atypical Bipolar I Disorder with Rapid Cycling
Meds:
Depakote 1500mg
Prozac 40mg
Risperdal 1mg titrating to 6mg/day
Klonopin .5mg (2x/day)
Trazodone 100mg or 200mg PRN
Were you truly manic, or just hypomanic? Have you been truly manic in the past? What are your manias like?
As far as I know, mania is a biological event, out of our control. Things can trigger it, yes, but I have as yet to know about planned, controlled manias.
I know a couple of ways mania can be induced, but am not going to post them since mania can have dangerous consequences if not controlled. Please note that I've never induced mania myself nor do I ever plan to due to the awful way I feel towards the middle and end of an episode. Thanks, but no thanks. It's just not worth it.
__________________
Atypical Bipolar I Disorder with Rapid Cycling
Meds:
Depakote 1500mg
Prozac 40mg
Risperdal 1mg titrating to 6mg/day
Klonopin .5mg (2x/day)
Trazodone 100mg or 200mg PRN
Last edited by dreams in neon; 02-27-2009 at 08:16 PM.
I guess I still don't get why anyone in their right mind would want to induce mania, no matter how good it feels in the beginning, middle or end. Seems like playing with fire to me, and we're not talking a candle here, we're talking a major freakin bonfire!
That's true, Kat. If my pdoc ever found out that I had intentions of inducing mania, he'd have my backside! It's bad enough that my tdoc lectures me when I don't get enough sleep at night and end up having a manic episode as a result.
__________________
Atypical Bipolar I Disorder with Rapid Cycling
Meds:
Depakote 1500mg
Prozac 40mg
Risperdal 1mg titrating to 6mg/day
Klonopin .5mg (2x/day)
Trazodone 100mg or 200mg PRN
Katlin09 is spot on. Trying to induce mania is playing with fire, and probably the most dangerous and unconstructive action you could possibly take. Whilst in severe mania, anything could happen. You are not in control, and I doubt 'controlled mania' exsists. Mania messes with the wiring in your brain.
Without being patronizing, I seriously doubt that the OP was thinking rationally when they wrote this. It seems more like a desire for some confidence, by someone who is feeling low. Inducing mania is not the answer.
Medication and positivity is the key to recovery. I can't stress that enough.
Hell even when I was manic this last time, my pdoc didn't even think it was a manic period, he said it was just my brain trying to process all the trauma of the past few weeks, i.e. my husband assaulting me, the cutting to the point of needing stitches, etc. He said it was an impulse control state and it would stay until I hit the "Proverbial Brick Wall", which I think I have, I think the whole job thing shocked my system back into normal depressed state.
But if I did go to him and say, "hey I want to be manic how do I do that?" He'd call the men in lil white suits and have me put in the psych ward again.
Triggers induce my mania. If there is something that I am really excited about doing, I go straight into the type of mania you are talking about. But then if I get over stimulated I will go over the edge and have a hard time stopping.........talking too much, become irriatable, out of control. Then I need a place to chill out and let my mind calm down. I think its all about triggers. Any outside influence plays a major factor in how I react in mania.
Whatever you chose to do, remember All in moderation as far as how much you put on yourself. Not sure how else to explain this.
Were you truly manic, or just hypomanic? Have you been truly manic in the past? What are your manias like?
As far as I know, mania is a biological event, out of our control. Things can trigger it, yes, but I have as yet to know about planned, controlled manias.
If had ever experienced what a true Manic episode is, you might have had fun while it was going on, but you don't want to do that again.
What the OP is describing sounds more like hypomania. In that regard, we all know that it is understandable to desire that feeling again: life of every party, crushing it at work, go all day, go all night, hypersexuality. Think back to that moment, for a second, where you knew that you couldn't keep it up forever and it scared the S out of you. Remember the sleepless nights and the fights and the arguments. Remember not being able to concentrate on anything for more than five minutes.
