Category: Hypomania
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Hypomania, Praise, and Self-Talk
Photo thanks to Gustavo Espíndola The praise came. Kitt loved to please. The more praise she received, the better she felt. The more she achieved, the higher she soared, until she couldn’t. Her body couldn’t keep up. She broke down, couldn’t get out of bed, and beat herself up for falling, for failing. Talking to…
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Walking the Line
Living with bipolar is like walking on a tightrope, trying to maintain my balance, fearful of each step I take. As a young adult, I didn’t understand what triggered my highs and lows. I saw depression as a problem, but I didn’t fully understand the role of workaholism, overachievement, and perfectionism, even as I crashed…
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Writing to Discipline My Thoughts
This morning I attended an OC Writers’ write-in. I haven’t attended a writers’ group in a long time. Been isolating myself and focusing on my son rather than my writing, rather than myself. Today, I left him home in bed, then left the meeting early to get him to class on time. When I got…
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Diagnosing Bipolar II #DavidLeite #NotesOnABanana
Quoted excellent psychiatric diagnostic interview for bipolar II from Chapter 33 of David Leite’s Notes on a Banana – a Memoir of Food, Love, and Manic Depression.
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Mind Spinning
Mind spinning In circles Like a hamster On a wheel Racing Round and round Going nowhere Going nowhere Too quickly To safely Get off Mind spinning Sick to my stomach Let me off This ride Right now Please slow down Please brake Cannot take it Anymore Maybe I shouldn’t Have had Two cups of Coffee…
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Spring Brings Hypomania
This year, as winter has ended and spring has begun, I’ve taken it slowly and protected myself from overstimulation. You have not heard from me as much, as I’ve not been as active writing here or on social media. You see, springtime triggers hypomania in me. Now I’m experiencing mild hypomania, irritability, and some mixed…
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Who Do I Care For, Really?
I spend way too much emotional and physical energy toward the care of others, aside from myself. Why do I care so much, too much? No doubt due to my upbringing, to my relationship to my parents – trying to please, to earn their love and approval. Why, after decades of therapy, do I still feel and act as…
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Verbal Non-Verbal
Sometimes, I’m verbal The words rush They press They insist on getting out of my head They keep me awake at night Unless I shut them up Turn them off with meds Sometimes, though, I’m simply not Sometimes, I’m non-verbal The words are not there I do jigsaw puzzles Watch TV Play with numbers Rather than…
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Am I Still a Mental Health Blogger?
What defines being a blogger, specifically a mental health blogger? Must I write regularly or frequently? Must I always write about mental health? What if that is not my focus ALL the time? What if I’m so busy that living with bipolar disorder is not in the forefront of my mind? What if I’m overwhelmed…
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Yes, I'm a Math Geek
By January 22nd I had scanned almost every home improvement receipt my parents kept since 1978 to help the CPA, my old boss, adjust the basis of their house to calculate capital gains. I scanned over 625 receipts! There is more work to be done, more information to be gathered, for my parents’ income taxes. I’ve also started…