Hypermania - experience?

[Houseplantmad]

DD is in the midst of a hypermanic episode, which we have never experienced before. It is very frightening and the local crisis team are involved. I don’t know what to expect next so am wondering if anyone has had similar experience and can share their experiences please.

Hypermania or hypomania?

Hyper is the worst and may require sectioning, hypomania might just be manageable in the community

@Gingernaut I don’t actually know at this stage, which may seem a bit strange. The hospital didn’t say for sure, as they weren’t certain (she hadn’t slept for 4 days before we took her to hospital late Friday night) and the crisis team have visited just this afternoon. I thought hypomania yesterday but am thinking it may be hypermania now.

Is she a voluntary patient?

It will be hypomania, the stage "below" mania, otherwise she would most likely be in hospital. I presume she doesn't have an existing diagnosis if this is the first episode? Is she taking medication? If she is taking medication and they get the dose right etc then hopefully they have caught it early enough and it won't develop into full blown mania. Do speak to the crisis team if you feel she is getting worse and if she needs to go into hospital it will be the safest place for her at that point. I'm sorry, it must be really scary for you all x

She’s at home with the crisis team now visiting daily - first visit today. It’s very hard and scarey, even though they’ve given promethazine.
This is the first episode ever, although she was a voluntary patient in hospital three months ago after a bout of severe anxiety and depression.
In hindsight I think this has been building since she was discharged but we were so glad to see her positive, happy and loving life, plus she’s been staying at her uni (currently temporarily withdrawn) flat on and off so the signs weren’t so obvious.

Hypomania is below mania. It is associated with fast speech, high energy lack of need for sleep
Mania is that plus and can result in delusions of grandeur and psychosis. Mania usually results in an admission but not always. I flew very close to an admission on a couple of occasions but managed to stay at home with support. I always thought I had bipolar 2 because I hadn't been admitted but I have a diagnosis of bipolar 1 after episodes where I have believed I could fly for examples

Sleep sleep and more sleep is the best thing but so very difficult and medication maybe needed. It is very difficult to not move with the energy but with hypomania and mania the more you do the more energy you have and the more you want to do. Normal life just feels so slow and boring. Mindfulness and soothing exercises help me but in early episodes good luck getting me to do that! Really it's a hard battle to get a person that is experiencing new episodes of hypomania and mania. You feel so amazing. It's only with hindsight that you see the chaos that you were leaving in your wake. Keep supporting her to engage with the crisis team and taking any medication prescribed. Work on improving each day and worry about the longer term later.