Manic Monday

Okay, a few months ago I was starting to do entries on bipolar disorder. But due to my physical health and other reasons, maintaining posts were getting difficult so I had pause and slow down. To this day, I am a bit upset I didn’t get to write the entries I wanted to publish on bipolar disorder. So we’re going back and finishing it up. And since it’s Monday, what a perfect segue to discuss **drumroll** the mania phase of bipolar disorder.

First let me make a quick shout out to all my bipolar 1 people! Yall definitely no stranger to the mania phase. I will get into bipolar 1 and bipolar 2 in the near future, but I just want to show quick love to you guys. Also, I am not a medical professional, so please treat this entry and every entry as post to bring insight and awareness of mental health. With that being said, let’s get it popping!

So why did I make a shout to bipolar 1 people? Because like I have mentioned on previous entry, BPD vs Bipolar Disorder, bipolar disorder is known for alternating periods of depression and mania. People with bipolar 1 experience more of the manic phase than the depressive phase. Again, shout out to the experts of manic episodes. If you’re reading this, please comment below.

But what really occurs in the manic phase? People have this misconception that it’s better to be in the manic phase than being in the depressive state. People have this notion, because you’re not laying in bed feeling hopeless, it’s a better state. Oh… child… no! The other side is just as bad as being depressed.

First of all, just because someone has high energy does not mean they are being productive. Let me shout it louder for the people at the back. JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE IS HAVING HIGH ENERGY DOES NOT MEAN THEY ARE BEING PRODUCTIVE!!! With such high energy, the person tends to bounce from one idea or project to the next. Meaning nothing gets finish.

Let’s not forget the huge ego that comes along in this state. Don’t get me wrong. I am all about self-esteem. But this level of confidence during the manic phase is so high, that Kanye West can’t beat that level. Why is it a bad thing? Well, the person set unrealistic goals and truly believe they have some sort of superpower to achieve everything. With the over exaggeration combining bouncing from one task to another will lead to a person being snappy and irritable. And who wants to deal with that?

Also, when a person is jumping for ideas/projects to the next, because they are trying to keep up with their mind. When an individual is in a manic phase they have constant racing thoughts. Racing thoughts may include rapidly changing ideas and an inability to concentrate on one thing. Also with the racing thoughts is the mouth trying to keep up too. That’s why if you listen to someone communicate in a manic phase, the individual always urgently stating all of their ideas, possibly without making any sense. At times, they may not pause to allow anyone else to speak, or they might say things that are inappropriate for the situation.

Of course with high energy and this belief of having supernatural abilities comes with sleep deprivation. “Sleep? What is sleep? You can sleep when you die!” is pretty much how they feel in the moment. People with mania may have trouble sleeping or feel that they have less need for sleep. It is not uncommon for someone with mania to stay awake for more than 24 hours or only sleep 3 hours a night, yet report feeling as though they have slept well. AND THIS IS WITHOUT COFFEE!!! Imagine if they did…

And the worse part, in my opinion, mania may lead a person to behave impulsively and take part in dangerous or risky activities. Their actions could include excessive spending, reckless driving, drug use, alcohol abuse, and unsafe sex. Imagine having extremely high energy and feeling invincible. Well, when you feel that way, you lose touch of reality. So when you bought $1,500 worth of clothes and maxed out all of your credit card to do so, you’re not thinking about the monthly bill. When you’re blasting music on the highway, with the wind blowing your hair, you’re not think about the cops or getting into an accident. Feeling lust and wanted by someone or multiple of people, leading into a passionate night of bad choices that may affect your life and health, is something that does not play in your head in the moment. It’s like being in this high and you want to keep getting higher. The thrill of it all, no matter how dangerous it is, you just keep seeking without thinking of the repercussions.

I hope this entry really have opened your eyes to mania. If you or someone you know has bipolar disorder; especially bipolar 1, please comment below. Love reading comments. Enjoy the music (ya know I had to do it!). Until next time, adult one day at a time. xoxo