Are you aware when you hypomanic

[hell1971]

Can anyone tell me as I try to understand what has been happening to me if you are aware of the following

I experienced some sort of voices in my head, it was very brief but for the first time in my life a week after I had come off the AD when I was apparently rapid cycling I had other voices in my head. I was fully aware of them and that they were not mine, I also experienced short periods of paranoia ( obviously at the time I beleived it to be true ) and visual hallucinations that I was fully aware was not real.  I thought that people in this state would not know that these things were not real can anyone shed some light.

Also when hypomanic do you tend to have the same behaviours, for example if when you become hypomanic you spring clean the house, move furniture and really get into the garden even if this is at night and its dark or raining are you likely to do the same thing each time you become hypomanic, ie does your personal manifestation tend to be the same sort of behaviours?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated

[Minty737]

Well Im not sure if the others answered this question obviously so I thought Id add my two cents. When i get into hypomanic states I usually have the same symptoms, like cleaning, cooking lots of things, trying to organise stuff with friends etc. I do realise when I am in those states, now that I am aware of my condition anyhow. I also realise when Im in the depressed state, and it is usually for no good reason, just happens.

So yes personal manifestations seem to be similar each time, for the people ive heard from and myself.

[ILADVOCATE]

Well "hearing voices" (auditory hallucinations) and paranoia are more psychosis than bipolar so perhaps its bipolar with psychotic features. As per myself I know well what hypomanic is. I experienced that before recovery and in the brief period in between Clonidine and Zofran. On a hypomanic day I would go to the city and buy a lot of cd's and chat with the record store clerks I hardly knew and everything appeared like it was rushing at me and like it was the best day I ever had. The problem is now being homebound (I do get out on occassions but with a home attendant and Access A Ride) because I am on the net all the time and its easy to do things that will have consequences. Post something irrational. Go on a spend a thon. And internet pornography can be addictive. But what's much more of concern for me now is when I do advocacy that it must always be rational. I have the ability to file off a complaint letter. And it will get results. But I think (again just my belief system, each person is entitled to their own) of the Buddhist concept of "right motive". I can't get involved in that because I'm angry at a place of business or agency. But if its factual and will help other people then it is the right motive. And it usually gets results that are strongly positive.
  But as for depression it can be enjoyable but in a pathological way. With the euphoric depression I experienced from what they are identifying as "tardive psychotic depression" I read all kinds of gothic literature and listened to music like that and I'm not into that scene nor know people like that. I have minor mood fluctuations which I can keep in check and tardive psychosis which before treatment would create disturbingly altered states. The Zofran and rhodiola are helping. And my psychiatrist just made a referral to a movement disorders specialist so if that gets treated too then if my thinking is "real world" all the time that would be great.
  I'd say for anyone if you feel mania coming on talk to someone. Don't post online. Don't surf the web. And don't send e-mails without asking someone or thinking if they will have consequences. Its not just the angry e-mails sent in an agitated mixed state. Its also the euphoric ones to people you hardly know from the past saying you want to meet them again and how much you love them. I've been through that before recovery and not anymore thankfully though. The important thing is if your reality testing drops speak to your psychiatrist and have a friend or family member who can serve as back up and if they have bipolar do the same for them when they need it as a mutual support system.

[cowgirlnerd]

Apparently, I don't realize when I am hypomanic.  I know something's "off" but not that I am full blown into it.  I do seem to have the same behaviours in that I make irrational decisions, give things away, talk incessantly, clean like a mad woman (ok, I don't mind that part), hear things (voices, clicks, buzzing), paranoia, buy things impulsively, more sexually active - to include bad decisions, isolate myself from friends (I think in some regard I do that on purpose).... so yes and no.  I think I feel being "off" but it's not until I come down from the hypomanic state and see the aftermath that I realize how I had been.  

After that, I get the wonderful depression.....

[jst4shanell]

I know when i'm hypomanic.  I can hear things, see things, get extremely paranoid.  The paranoia was the worst.  I think everyone is out to get me.  It got worse though.  I ended up in the hospital with a psychotic episode.  I was fully aware that the things I was seeing were not real, but it really scared me still.  I had a harder time with the voices and noises I heard because I couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't.  This tends to happen more at night.  I don't sleep well.  It's like my body just comes to life at night.  I am on a lot of medications that helps this but it still comes back.  It doesn't last as long and I don't crash as hard.  The crash is usually just a couple days now with the meds.  I am fully aware that I can't stop talking, talking really fast, running through my house instead of walking, things like that.  I am also a rapid cycler.  I have have had two episodes this month alone.   I keep a daily track of my mood and so forth.  My doc told me you can be in a psychotic phase and still know it if you are bipolar.  If you are fully manic you don't know it.  This is just from my experiences.  I hope this helps a little.  :)