Settling hypomania or mania

[creative_writer]

I am prone to experiencing symptoms of hypomania, and it often happens simultaneously with depression. Has anyone found anything that helps settle them when it feels overwhelming? I can get panic attacks and extreme bouts of anxiety. 

Things I’ve found that helps me are:

1. Breathing and grounding exercises 

2. Music especially binaural and relaxing brain wave music 

3. Connecting spiritually and being out in nature 

4. Minimising sensory output, loud noises and bright lights feel too much. I also have ASD and ADHD 

5. I have PRN when I need it 

6. Reaching out for support can be helpful, though I find this very hard with my personal circle. Forums are lovely. Helplines help sometimes. 

[Abz]

I usually delete my bank card details from Amazon, TEMU and Udemy when I’m going high to try and curb the impulse spending at 2-3 am.  It doesn’t always prevent disasters but it can help some of the time.

sometimes I give my sis or mum control of my spending money for a little while and ask them for $50 here and there when I need something.  They might do my Cole’s or Woolies shop for me too so I don’t load up on Coke, carbs, and sweets instead of nutritious stuff.

I feel awful needing that much intervention at age 53 but bad past experiences have taught me the wisdom in those measures even though I hate them while they’re in place.

I once bought a £400 stereo music player with tape decks and a record turntable when manic on my credit card and forgot all about it till the bill came due!  I also ordered a snooker table for my third floor attic bedroom when very very manic (and possibly psychotic) which turned up while I was at work and Dad had to send back to the manufacturer.  The delivery driver was not pleased!!  We lived on a farm that wasn’t all that easy to find before Google Maps and Satnavs!!

Thesedays I mostly splurge on ebooks for my Kindle as I read an entire book every day, most days.  Kindle Unlimited only has so many in the genres that interest me,

Take care,

Abbz77

[snowflake231]

@creative_writer 

What you are describing is a mixed episode. 

 

[snowflake231]

@creative_writer  

Im going through a mixed episode myself at the moment and I'm not doing a great job at controlling it so I can't give you much advice. Sorry. 

[creative_writer]

@snowflake231 I am struggling with it myself. I was afraid I wasn’t going to sleep last night and just listened to delta wave music. Which helped a bit. I was too scared that I would wake up foggy if I took PRN. I had something important to do this morning. I am worried that I am building tolerance to my meds, I can’t increase the dose endlessly. It’s already been increased a few times. Mixed episodes are worse than plan mania or depression by far. I go into obsession thinking

[creative_writer]

@Abz the urge to resist spending is so real. I’m currently unemployed and on job seeker. I’m living with family because I can’t afford it. I have other things to pay for like meds, supplements and medical appointments. Health is so expensive, I can’t afford to waste money on things I don’t need. I have plenty of those things, I need to declutter. Though I think it might be wise to put a limit to my spending, I should have enough to spend on essentials but not too much surplus money I can access

[snowflake231]

@creative_writer 

I take pills to go to sleep. But since this episode I take them like midnight or 1am and I wake up at 5:30am. 

mixed episode is definitely very scary. I have the drive and energy to be like an Energizer bunny but the depression keeps me from achieving anything. It's so hard to describe. 

as for spending I let hubby to take over all the finances. I have to have his permission to buy anything. It's not ideal but that's what it takes. I do the groceries so I feel like I've spend money but I have to stick to a list. 

[creative_writer]

@snowflake231 I have PRN, but it can make my brain foggy. So it’s not ideal if I need to do something that requires a lot of attention.

I find it hard to get much done because I get paralysed and everything feels like too much. My ADHD symptoms become a lot worse.

It does help to have people around to help you. I was tempted to buy stuff, but they are a lot more expensive today. So the urge to resist is a bit easier