How To Tell what Mania and Hypomania Really Look like

"Some people enjoy their hypomania because it's a relief from their depression." oh my gosh this HIT me. 💕

I always know when I’m manic (hypomania since I’m bipolar 2) now because I become obsessed over things. I stay up all night researching, planning, making lists. My spending becomes hard to control. My favorite one was when I started training for a marathon, only to train up to 7 miles just to become depressed and not run for like 3 months after that. 🙄

I was once hypomanic for 3 months. It was really tough. Mania isn’t just happy. It’s euphoria and rage and sexuality all bundled into one and your thought process is altered. Really bad ideas seem like really good ideas and you know you’re destroying yourself and scaring those around you, but you can’t stop. Thank you for these videos.

I recently sent my psychiatrist a long email accusing him of being a "Snake Oil" salesman. 😂 Luckily, he knew I was manic and saw the funny side of it.

I’m coming down off a manic episode with psychotic features that landed me in inpatient. I’m still struggling to accept my diagnosis, but this video, as per usual, makes me feel like I’m less alone, and like this isn’t the end of the world.

I always question whether I'm faking or "making up" my symptoms in my head for attention. Your videos are so validating thank you so much for the content!

I feel my passions are sometimes mania, and it tares me apart. I don't know what normal or abnormal thinking is.

I don't want to lose all my "mania" I just want to sleep better. Without it, life is boring - all flavor is gone, no excitement, no joy...blah. Like Sara Fee and Mr. Q commented below. I've always been a little hyper and that's just who I am. I've always felt like I was kissed by God because of my talents, will, determination, and drive. People like us achieve great things, create great art. BUT - YES - YES we do need a little help. Don't put out all the flame... Dr. Tracey Marks - I want to thank you. You are so on point.

When I go hypo I always wake up and there’s this energy in my chest. There like a ticker tape playing even with my eyes closed. Like the Dow Jones thingy. I start out with high energy and amazing ideas and I feel happy. This will last about 5 days and I come up with tons of ideas for things and research the ideas and start writing books etc. then the turn. It’s miserable. I haven’t been sleeping for days by this point and still cannot but I’m grumpy and often have a headache and now my thoughts turn horrible and self injurious and frustrating. I cannot sit still and always feel uncomfortable. I call it wearing a Sherry suit that’s a size too small. This can last weeks and is horrible. The drop from the good high to this is like an avalanche. Being depressed is easier for me. I’m tired and sleep 14 hours a day. I wish this horrible disease on no one

If a person could figure out how bottle up and sell what a mania feels like, before it goes horribly south, the person would be a zillionaire. That's why so many stop their medications to chase that dragon. Just beyond the hypomania, but before all the crazy goes full tilt.

She’s so well spoken and easy to follow. I love informative content like this

This psychologist is throwing shade left and right, and I'm loving it haha

Dr. Tracey Marks, you are a blessing to our community and I thank you for the peace and clarity you've brought to my life. Aside from arming me with necessary information, I finish your videos feeling more confident in myself. Your videos teach me that I am complex, unique and ever-changing and, above all, that I deserve to understand and treat myself better. Thank you!

2:47 Kanye West just had his first campaign rally...👀 😫

I remember my first hypomanic episode and even though I felt so energized and motivated and brilliant, self esteem through the roof, I was also perplexed and distressed by my behavior because it was just this constant feeling of "I don't know why I'm doing these things but I can't stop". I couldn't stop talking and cleaning and making art and taking risks and I know a lot of people enjoy when they feel that way, but I just felt scared. I hope I never feel that way again, I've had smaller episodes since then and some weird times where I have a week or two where in the evenings I get the pressured speech and can't stop moving and doing things but the first episode was just the worst. I hope everyone here with bipolar gets the help they need!

I am currently attending school to become a mental health professional and I must say that your videos are very educational and better than the lectures I am given at school! Thank you Dr. Marks, I aspire to be like you one day!!! Keep the educational videos flowing!!!

For me Flight of Ideas was like a vhs or cassette tape stuck in fast forward and vomiting the tape everywhere.

Can you do a video on intrusive thoughts with anxiety

Props to my best friend for just dealing with my hypomanic episodes where I would call him and rant/talk/rage/ramble about fucking everything for hours at a time Sometimes I dont think he listens but like he still lets me go on thanks man

My psychiatrist told me the TWO times I felt like a normal, energetic, social butterfly in my life that it could’ve been mania. But both instances only last for a night, not a week. This clears it up that it wasn’t mania at all, thank you