"Supposed To's" For Mania
People experiencing full blown mania without medical and therapeutic intervention
by definition experience a wide range of unique experiences that are normal for mania.
If you're actively manic, you're supposed to experience some of these experiences...
...be passionately emotional and go from irritable, to happy, to sad, to rage, to happy with
absolutely no trigger and sometimes all at once. Some people experience emotions
explode out of them at once.
...feel impulsive and out of control. It can be the scariest experience for many people, but they're
so afraid to get labeled or called crazy that they don't get help until it is involuntary.
...not be able to sleep or not have the need for sleep at night and be active towards a goal.
...have a goal that you're obsessed about and can't stop.
...have thoughts that you can't stop thinking and multiple chains of thoughts that can feel like
they are all jumbled together.
...think so fast that you can't express yourself and have ideas that only you can see the
brilliance in or make sense of.
...have a sex drive that is so intense that you're willing to put yourself at risk to have sex.
...have a profound spiritual experiences. Some believe they understand and can control the
universe. Some have deeply personal experiences with God, Jesus, Prophets,
Ancestors, the Dead, Satan and all other religious and spiritual figures.
...do things that are social and financial risks like trying to save the world through an invention
that only you truly see the value in and buy an abundance of items because someday they
will serve a great purpose.
...hear voices, seeing things that other people don't, and believe things happened that
didn't happen. These experiences are normal when both manic and depressed.
...to not be in touch with reality. People will think you're lying but that's your reality.
...some people feel so out of control that they use illegal drugs and alcohol to help them cope.
Some use drugs to keep themselves manic, stay awake, get through the day,
and get to sleep. Doing this causes the mania and depression to only get worse.
Self-medication is very common, it can't help. Medical help is necessary.
Painful Consequences of Mania
Unfortunately one normal experience of mania has very painful consequences, it can cost people their job, career, social status and severely disrupt their education. It is very common that self-trust, self-love, self worth and integrity can be lost. Bipolar disorder can destroy families, ruin friendships and romantic relationships, hurt children, destroy marriages, diminish the ability to parent, and take lives. It is highly likely that people will deeply hurt the ones they love. No one is usually able to stop this once they're in full blown mania without medical treatment. Pains and losses are often what it takes for people to realize that they've lost control of their mind and body.
It is normal for people to not know they need help. This is how so many people learn that they need help.
WARNING: The impulsive feelings that you are supposed to feel may cause you to have an impulse to kill yourself. Don't listen to these impulses! They are lying about what they say being a good idea. The impulse may tell you to jump off a cliff or a building in order to fly, you will not be able to fly. It may tell you to drive the wrong way on the freeway, do not do it, it will kill you. Just because you are manic and feel invincible does not mean that you will not die. Or it may be to commit suicide. None of these actions are what you should be doing while manic. You are not supposed to kill yourself.
If you've experienced some "should's" and "supposed to's"
then you may have experienced a very normal manic episode.
"Supposed To's For Depression"
If you're affected by a depressive episode and are not under medical and therapeutic care,
you are supposed to...
...feel so incredibly numb that they can't think or feel anything.
...not care about anything.
...not be able to participate in life.
...question if you are actually alive and even want to be dead.
...have no energy whatsoever.
...not be able to stay awake.
...feel really guilty about what you've done even though it's not your fault.
...feel worthless.
It's normal to want to commit suicide during a bipolar episode. The lack of feeling alive during this depression often convinces people to commit suicide. People don't really want to die, they want the pain to end.
To learn more about the types of bipolar disorder: click here
People experiencing the pain of a depressive episode are supposed to seek out as much support as humanly possible (medical help, therapy, family and friends, any religious or spiritual beliefs) to help fight the depression and remember that it's an episode (a period of time that is not permanent). It will pass.
This is a time for people to come together and make a commitment to life.
WARNING: Suicide when experiencing depression is most likely to occur just as a person is coming out of the depression because they finally have the will and energy. People must have support and careful monitoring especially during this time period.
If people have are excessively impulsive while having thoughts of death or dying, plan and means of killing yourself, they NEED to call 911 NOW.
Bipolar Disorder can be an amazing, unexplainably wonderful (and scary at the same time), sacred, normal experience that occurs naturally for human beings. Yet, even though it is normal, it is a problem in many people's lives, especially without treatment and medication.
