What is Mania?

DX'd - Other
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Hello, couple days ago my psychiatrist mentioned filing me for mental incompetence and it infuriated me. I have calmed down and am now seeking a second opinion. In the mean time I would like to learn what exactly is mania? I personally cannot ever recall having this mania or hypomania or euphoric feeling that textbooks describe. I however am well aware of what depression feels like. I am also aware of my hallucinations and delusions. These are the reasons why I take anti-depressant and anti-psychotic willingly. However, I disagree on the bipolar or schizoaffective diagnosis my psychiatrist is now giving me and hence I would not take the mood stabilizer.

I do have spending problems, impulsivity, angry outbursts on occasion. However, the occurrence of these event happened in the absence of mania or hypomania. Again, I don’t even know what the feeling is like at this point, so it is hard for me to say I suppose. For the past 4 years I am diagnosed with schizophrenia with depression. I have noticed an increase in these symptoms after taking Latuda, an anti-psychotic. In the first 2 years of my diagnosis before I took Latuda, I did not have spending problems or angry outbursts at all. I did mention this to my psychiatrist, however he dismissed the taking of fluoxetine and latuda as having anything to do with my anger.

From what I have read, Borderline Personality Disorder also leads to spending problems, impuslivenss and irritability. In my case, in the absence of any mood element when these events occurred is why I believe I do not have bipolar or need a mood stabilizer, but rather Dialectical Behavioural Therapy would help me a lot. Please let me know what you guys think. Thanks.

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t is mania? One person said “You never know what a maniac is going to do.” That’s enough to drive others crazy in itself.

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Are you sure you are not in denial re there being a mood element? Have you tried getting an outside view (family or friends) re any mood element that may be present?

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ma¡ni¡a

mental illness marked by periods of great excitement, euphoria, delusions, and overactivity.

synonyms: madness, derangement, dementia, insanity, lunacy, psychosis, mental illness;

an excessive enthusiasm or desire; an obsession.
plural noun: manias

synonyms: obsession, compulsion, fixation, fetish, fascination, preoccupation, infatuation, passion, enthusiasm, desire, urge, craving;

Why? Because there is a stigma attached to it?

I was bipolar mis-dx’d as major depressive long enough to keep my on anti-D’s for four years. I wound up assaulting four different people and doing two deferments followed by 30 days in the county lockup before I found out that I was bipolar and should never have been on anti-Ds. (Hey! They are stimulants. If one is bipolar, that is the worst thing you can give them.)

Mis-dx is very common because manic-depressives do not show up at the ER when they are manic. They show up when they are depressed. And the ER docs (or nurses) are often not adequately trained to know this.

My lesson cost me almost a half-million dollars. I am happy to share it with you for zip. You might want to look into the entire matter further, so…

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I get hypomania sometimes and the best way I can describe the feeling is this:

Today is awesome! You are awesome Mr. Tree. Just keep growing. Keep the world in oxygen. Hey person I don’t know! I love your hat so I’m going to smile enthusiastically and wave to you.
Is it just me or did I suddenly become good at dealing with people? Everyone is laughing at my jokes! I must be hilarious!
Oh man these potatoes are good. Suddenly this cruddy cafeteria pot roast isn’t cruddy. I don’t know why everyone is so hard on the cafeteria.
That dude who flipped me off is a jerk. I can’t believe there are people like that. If I wasn’t in such a good mood I’d really let him have it. Oh man the sun feels fantastic today. You keep doing what you’re doing Mr. Sun.

When I get hypomanic I do get sad and angry sometimes but not nearly to the point that I usually do and I forget about it pretty quickly. Bear in mind this is just my experience though.

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Your experience is an accurate description of low-grade hypomania (typical of Bipolar II disorder). Mine was medication-induced, shred-the-entire-room and tear-all-their-heads-off Bipolar I. (Sigh.)

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[quote=“anon95278303, post:1, topic:29343”]
I have noticed an increase in these symptoms after taking Latuda, an anti-psychotic. In the first 2 years of my diagnosis before I took Latuda, I did not have spending problems or angry outbursts at all. I did mention this to my psychiatrist, however he dismissed the taking of fluoxetine and latuda as having anything to do with my anger.
[/quote]shitty psychiatrist. Latuda is an activating and ZERO sedating drug for persons with psychosis. I would know, I took the ■■■■ and had the worst week of my life. It made me agitated and I screamed at the kitchen floor whilst leaning my torso on my knees every night for a few days every evening until I was exhausted from the anger. It did nothing except make me feel irate as well as floridly psychotic. Not a good drug for people with anger problems, mania, or agitation.

wrong. Good try though. Borderline personality is often treated with a variety of medications, from antidepressants to antipsychotics. It varies depending on which symptoms of the personality disorder are present and problematic (need solutions…). Mood stabilizers and kosher with Borderline.

But you go the DBT part right. It’s the go to standard for Borderline. It involves some zen Buddhist-ish stuff. It takes a bit of patience on your part and lots of compliance with the therapist. It also incorporates some basic “I see what I can change and cant change” Alcoholics Anonymous-ish stuff…formally called dialectics…meaning acceptance of what is changeable and not.

I suggest that you take lithium carbonate (its actually a salt, that ■■■■ will dry you up so be prepared to hydrate) in addition to your current meds, and DO SEEK DIALECTICAL BEHAVIORAL THERAPY that ■■■■ is rad for people with borderline.

My sister and one of my friends has borderline, both diagnosed. I have tried my best with them. I learned from it.

I do have a question- do you often say things that seem to stir other people up? This is a little trend I have noticed with my sister and said friend. I mean, to paraphrase, do people seem to emotionally react to what you say? Do you make people angry or upset with you? Do you feel a need for attention?

Hey I am just trying to help out, not upset you. I study this ■■■■ and it fascinates me. I have chronic paranoid schizophrenia, I am not just some person trying to pick your brain, I deal with ■■■■■■■ chronic psychosis and it is not exactly peachy. And I have serious anger and agitation problems. I lift weights like an ■■■■■■■ and act like an ■■■■■■■ more often than I know to be normal. But I have been pegged by the shrinks with psychopathic deviance/strong psychopathic tendencies/being ■■■■■■■ hostile.

I am a pretty nice guy when treated nicely.

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Latching onto your question. When more acutely ill I would often say things to shock people in a dry, tongue in cheek way.

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Like… making them laugh? Im confused.

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I meant I would make out I was serious but I wasn’t. I think I was into provoking a reaction.

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@anon95278303

Yes, exactly. Borderlines have been estimated to be as much as 80% co-morbid with dx’s in the bipolar spectrum. Those are actually what the meds are used to treat.

DBT is the #1 go-to in the world now for PT tx of borderlinism. There is no other PT in the world as research-proven for it (and many other Axis II PDs). DBT is, btw, not so much a “talk therapy” as it is classroom skills training, especially once the pt has moved upscale from denial / pre-contemplation to at least contemplation / consideration or even identification / acceptance… because it produces con / con, ID / acceptance and commitment / action just by learning about it with an open mind. (Marsha Linehan may not be “God,” but is surely one of the archangels.)

DBT – http://behavioraltech.org/resources/whatisdbt.cfm

BTW, @mortimermouse and I have =very= similar psychopathological profiles. If this stuff works for us, I will suggest it may work for almost anyone short of those with serious traumatic brain injuries. (And maybe even then…, because I know a pt with TBI who had made considerable progress with DBT. A virtual “walking miracle” in Riverside County, CA, most people had given up on until we got him into DBT about three years ago.)

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http://psycheducation.org/diagnosis/bipolar-disorder-and-borderline-personality-disorder/

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Damn @notmoses I want to know psychology like you do. You really inspire me and you help people on here with their dilemmas.

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Like I wrote to you once before, the way you’re movin’, you’ll know in a few years what it took me almost 30 to put together (CADC, NCAC, MSCCP, Psy.D.).

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I recognize Psy. D but what do the other acronyms mean?

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He certainly stimulates thought even though I don’t always agree with him.

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I get hypomania like that a fair amount.
But a few years ago I had the typical bipolar 1 full blown manic mayhem. And also uncontrollable rage. Thank goodness that’s passed me.

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For me it’s boundless energy and not feeling anchored to myself…

It really easy to talk me in to bad ideas when I’m getting the hyper energy spike. Sometimes it’s very euphoric… other times it’s amped up agitation and confusion.

A little bit of extra energy and feeling great just because is nice… but when it’s top of the charts and you can’t sit still… focus… stay on topic… and then it’s hard to sleep… and calm down…

I hate it when the scale goes to 11.

when I crash… I don’t crash into depression… I crash into emotionless… disconnected… flat… rust brown… uncaring… numbness. The wax build-up begins again.

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Here’s what I wrote to an acquaintance some time back re symptoms.

Major depressive episode, manic episode, mixed episode.

Most probably mixed- Predominantly dysphoric. Anxiety,irritability,inner
tension,busy mind,edgy,depression,contentious,impatient,

I sometimes call it ‘positively charged depression’.

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Certified Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counselor
National Certified Addictions Counselor
Master of Science in Clinical / Counseling Psychotherapy
Psychologist Doctor
(I forgot SNP, Specialized (limited) Nurse Practitioner.)