Am I hypomanic? Will this lead to mania? The first sign that makes me stand up and pay attention is when I am very racy. This may and usually is a sign that I am hypomanic. This mood episode presents itself in extreme thinking and acting. My mind is racing with multiple different thoughts at one time. This can feel confusing, overwhelming, and very uncomfortable. And yet at the same time, it can feel good, and empowering, like I am on top of the world. Prettier, smarter, funnier, more social, and seemingly more productive. My mind and body are going, going, going and doing, doing, doing. I talk incessantly and may experience pressured speech. I talk on the phone, text, and email constantly throughout the day. My house is also disorganized because I am doing many projects at once. This is beyond multi-tasking and most things are not done effectively nor are they completed.
Currently, I have a lot of big projects that I am working on. Instead of concentrating on one at a time, everything is being done at once, back and forth between them. I am starting my own business by selling my artwork on notecards, trying to apply to plus-size modeling jobs, blogging, and trying to grow that into a business and I am writing a children's book. From past experience, I know that I have to find things to help slow me down and keep it simple. I will try to work on each endeavor on planned days of the week instead of all in one day.
Daytime raciness can bleed into the night causing sleep disturbance. If I find myself getting five or fewer hours of sleep over consecutive days this can propel me into mania and worst-case scenario psychosis. If I experience multiple nights of lack of proper sleep and I am racy during the day I know it is time to contact my psychiatrist. This may help prevent me from any further slide into even worse mental health.
Some activities that help to calm me down are walks in nature, yoga, qigong, grounding exercises, deep breathing, and trying to be mindful of the moment. I try to use mindfulness to the best of my ability, concentrating on one task at a time and keeping my head where my feet are planted. This is not an easy task when my mind is racing. There is always hope and help from my network of friends and family and guidance from my therapist and doctor.
Take good care,
Christine
Healing starts when I stop asking, "Why me?" -- Hope For Today, p.11