Does this sound like Mania?

[Dani124]

Don’t know if this is in the right thread-
This day last week I woke up and felt ‘wired’
i also have a cold/flu so was putting it down to that. I felt like I took drugs almost as if I was on top of the world. Iv been googling and mania is coming up on my searches, I feel scared and afraid as I don’t want to have this, I haven’t done anything bad or irrational. I’m almost scared to feel happy in case I loose it or go mad? Can anyone help please?

I agree, my experiences were with very sick people who were hospitalised with very extreme examples of behaviour. I also think today the term is bandied about a bit glibly. I remember reading about a celebrity who had had had an adult child suicide and a cancer diagnosis in a partner and was clearly grieving, but she was given the label bipolar. First thing I thought was this lady is grieving. But the label stuck. I'm so glad your mum is OK most of the time and that is the thing to remember. Most people live great lives in spite of an illness with occasional relapses.

Hi op, I work in mental health and I would be very shocked for someone with mania to consider they might have mania and then to be posting on here. There's often a lack of awareness when it is a manic episode and people don't tend to stop and seek reassurance on symptoms. It really doesn't sound like it from your symptoms but obviously no one can do a mental health assessment over this forum 😊 . It sounds like this is a new form of your ocd intrusive thoughts about having a mania episode. With reassurance seeking and checking the behaviours. Could this be the case?

@WhatMe123 thank you very much for replying, i think that’s what it is too- I just feel like it’s different as I don’t feel happy or sad either it’s strange. Will be phoning gp in the morning x

You're obviously anxious about the thoughts and then seeking to reassure yourself and probably googling symptoms so you are displaying a ocd type pattern of symptoms and behaviours. Your probably becoming hyper aware of the symptoms too which then makes them feel worse and your anxiety then increases making it a kinda vicious cycle. Hope you figure it out 😊

Hypomania I do notice as it approaches mania I lose insight. I will recognise that I'm higher than baseline but will deny strongly that it's anything beyond slightly higher than normal and absolutely not of concern. The insight in hypomania has only come with a lot of time and effort managing my moods

I had a training session in ADHD and did find there was some commonality but mania is so much quicker. The more i do the more energy I have. I really good example of this was when I went for a long walk one weekend with friends as they tired towards the top of the hill I was doing cartwheels and skipping!

I get very obsessive and have grand plans. I sit differently which is a big clue. I sit with my feet on the seat as if I'm ready to pounce.

Hi OP I hope you are OK. My mum and grandmother suffered manic episodes. I don't really remember my nans experience because I was very young and she was committed to a hospital before I was born. But my mum's episode were very difficult. She had no insight to how she felt, she had lots of energy, spent money, got very deeply into religion I was often sat in churches feeling extremely vulnerable knowing my mum was behaving strange. Eventually she was diagnosed with schizo affective disorder. It's been extremely hard for her to get the right medication. She's had ect, lithium, largactil its been tough. I'm sat here now thinking I may go the same way because of hormones but what I realise is I know how I feel, my mum didn't.

Please please please don't be completely shocked by the possibility of someone in a hypomanic or early stages of a manic episode retaining insight at all whatsoever. This misunderstanding has meant well-meaning health professionals have delayed my treatment until an episode is very out of control and needed more intervention than if I'd been listened to, and often the ones who fob me off are ones who don't usually have contact with me and don't know I retain insight much longer than a lot of people or that I can suddenly get a flash of insight in the middle of things. Some of us do retain insight. IDK why, but my psychiatrist has said that I'm not the only one, it's just fairly rare.
In OP's case though I agree with you that it's more likely OCD.

Well of course. Obviously no would ever try to do a mental health assessment over this forum however in my experience it would quite rare for someone on a first episode of mania to be on mums net googling, rare but of course still possible. These things always need checking out I agree 😁

@WhatMe123 hope you don't mind me replying, the gp prescribed me propanol I just feel so drained with this all x

That will be good for your anxiety but won't really help the ocd side but I guess your gp is now aware your struggling so that's good. You can review how you get on and always change the meds if they're not working as I bet your gp will want to review you soon, your doing great 😊

@WhatMe123 i have pmd you x

I have family members with bipolar, they can never recognise manic behaviour in themselves, once it becomes a manic episode we have to step in, they will always disagree and insists they are fine - trust your instincts, can you get your partner to the hospital, typically it’s been my best option because getting a GP appointment doesn’t work whereas A&E can escalate to the mental health team.