GatsbyLuvr1920

The new symptoms you described pretty much clinches it for me that he's manic- the classic "jumping from topic to topic" was what set it for me. During mania the person has what is called "flight of ideas" where their thought processes speed up. Therefore, they have pressured speech and feel they have to talk faster and faster to keep up with what their brain wants them to say. Another classic symptom is impatience when you interrupt them. The manic person thinks that they are the most important person that ever lived, and when you interrupt them, they find it highly offensive and may turn aggressive or even violent. However, when they interrupt you to tell you about their great ideas, that's perfectly fine. As the mania progresses, their patience shortens. The littlest thing that doesn't go their way can end up in an explosion. They may start ignoring you because they think you're too slow and "boring" for their sped-up pace. It's not advisable to tell the manic patient to "slow down" while they're talking because they don't realize that they're talking faster- they think you're slower, and therefore, uninteresting. While manic, the person gets involved in many new projects (some, which can be disasterous, such as Internet stocks), go on life-ruining shopping sprees, and become hypersexual. Their inhibitions and judgment leaves them and they become more of a risk taker, even if they've never been before. Unprotected sex, gambling, and reckless driving can all accompany mania. Some may drink alcohol to bring themselves down from their "high" and others might take drugs like cocaine to intensify the "feel-good" experience. Also, asking for someone's hand in marriage and planning the future is also common, but not recommended. A manic person should NEVER make life-altering decisions such as wanting to have a child, get married, buy a house, move, quit one's job, etc. because they really don't know what they're getting into. This is not to say that he doesn't truly want to marry you, but the abruptness and rapidity is the mania talking. It sounds as if he has the textbook case of mania, that is, euphoric mania. As far as the delusions go, I'd check with his psychiatrist. I would think that you should probably just go along with them because if you don't, he'll be offended, but I'm not entirely sure; the doctor might think that it would only reinforce the idea. There are two types of bipolar disorder: bipolar I and bipolar II. Bipolar I, which your friend has, is the more serious type. In both, the person experiences a state called hypomania. During hypomania, the same symptoms are present as in mania, but they're much less severe and developed, though their decisions may still ruin their lives because of the lack of judgment. People with bipolar II never progress beyond hypomania; people with bipolar I, on the other hand, develop "full-blown" mania. In full-blown mania, the person may become psychotic and have hallucinations and/or delusions, as you have seen. The delusions are almost always of a grandiose nature. During his hospitalization, your friend will most likely be given an anti-psychotic such as Haldol or thorazine to stop the psychotic features. Then, he'll be put on a mood stabilizer. There're two types of mood stabilizers: lithium and anti-convulsant drugs that were originally designed for the treatment of epilepsy. (Depakote and Tegretol are the two most common types.) By the description of his episode, and his apparent euphoric mania, your friend will most likely be put on lithium. Depakote and Tegretol are used more for bipolar II, rapid-cycling, and for patients with any other co-existing psychiatric disorders. If he continues taking his meds, he'll be fine. He'll still experience a cyclic change in mood, but it will be minor. Make sure to monitor his sleeping habits. A bipolar person (especially a bipolar I) must go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning. Any switch in time zones may spark mania. The best thing that you can do for him is just to be there for support. Even if you don't end up continuing your relationship, I'm sure that he'll appreciate you being there to help him through this tough time. Hope this helps, and write back soon!
-GatsbyLuvr1920-
P.S. A book you might highly consider purchasing for yourself or your friend is "The Bipolar Survival Guide." Even though I'm not bipolar, I wanted to learn about it, and this particular book told me pretty much everything I just told you. It comes complete with mood charts and advice for families. Very good reference for both patient and relatives!

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"Not everything that steps out of line, and thus 'abnormal,' must necessarily be 'inferior.'"
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