Bipolar Disorder can seem pretty complicated. This condition consists of mood episodes: manic, depressive, or mixed. You may be familiar with depression, but what really is mania? What are the symptoms?
Today, I made a video highlighting manic symptoms!
There are MANY characteristics of manic episodes. Episodes can also look different from person to person, or even for the same person! This is a VERY BASIC overview of mania!
Some terminology you may find helpful:
Pressured Speech: “Occurs when an individual speaks at a rapid and sometimes frantic speed. The pace makes it difficult for people listening to make sense of what is being said. It can be jumbled and difficult to understand, as the person speaking may not stop at appropriate points.”
Example:
“My big test is tomorrow, but I don’t know the information. I could know the information if I studied more but studying also makes me feel more stressed. If I’m more stressed I’ll likely do poorly on the test but if I don’t study I’ll also do poorly and either way, I’m in trouble because this test is half my grade and if I fail I’ll fail the class which means summer school and …” (verywellmind.com)
Flight of Ideas: “Involves continuous, rapid speech that changes focus from moment to moment based on association, distractions, or plays on words. Some of the time, it is possible to follow the person’s leaps of logic (especially if you know the person well). Other times, the racing thoughts are so disorganized and chaotic that even a close friend or relative will find them confusing.”
Example:
“I am hungry. Does my dog need to go for a walk? I wonder what the weather will be tomorrow. What is the purpose of life? I should learn to play canasta. My mom should lose some weight. Wait, I forgot to pick my kids up from school.” (verywellmind.com)
Grandiosity: “People experiencing grandiose delusions often describe larger-than-life feelings of superiority and invulnerability. In short, it is an exaggerated sense of one’s importance, power, knowledge, or identity, even though there may be little evidence to support the beliefs.”
Example:
Grandiose delusions are one of the most common types of delusions in BD. Examples of grandiosity include:
- Exaggerating your own achievements
- Criticizing and dismissing other’s achievements or talents
- Constantly boasting and talking about yourself
- Believing yourself to be infallible or invulnerable
- Believing that you are more intelligent than others
- Thinking that common rules don’t apply to you
- Acting selfishly
- Treating others with disdain or contempt
- Not caring if you hurt someone with your actions
- Being quick to anger if you are challenged
- Being unable to see how your behavior affects others
- Being unable to see how unrealistic your beliefs and actions are
I hope you enjoy the video!
The Calculating Mind 