There are common symptoms that many people with bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder deal with. These symptoms are what psychiatrists refer to as mania and hypomania. Now you may be wondering what these terms mean right? According to the Cleveland Clinic,
"Mania is a condition in which you display an over-the-top level of activity or energy, mood, or behavior. This elevation must be a change from your usual self and be noticeable by others. Symptoms include feelings of invincibility, lack of sleep, racing thoughts and ideas, rapid talking and having false beliefs or perceptions."
Obviously, if someone is in a manic episode, they may need to be hospitalized for a few days to have their medication adjusted. Mania is very serious and should not be taken lightly. An example of mania is when years ago I believed that it was biblically prophesied for me to harm the president. This is obviously a delusional belief that caused me to act in odd fashion and during this time I was very euphoric and felt invincible with high entering too. As for the definition of hypomania, according to www.mind.org.uk,
"Hypomania is a milder version of mania that lasts for a short period (usually a few days)."
Hypomania does not necessarily require hospitalization, but should be taken seriously regardless because it can easily lead into mania if left unchecked. During my hypomania stages, I may not become delusional or have hallucinations, but I will engage in high risk activities such as over-spending and becoming very sexual. My mind will race and I may even talk a mile-a-minute too.
Now, that you have an idea as to what mania and hypomania are, it is time for me to share how to best manage these symptoms. These are tips that I use in my daily life and I believe if you utilize them they will help you as well. If you can think of more tips please feel free to share what helps you in the comments below.
1) Take Medication At The Same Time Every Day
This may seem like a trite point to make but it is a proven fact that our medication work the best when we take them on a regular daily schedule. We do have an hour window before and after our scheduled time, but it is very important that we stay on schedule because if we miss a dose then our minds will not fare well.
2) Get Plenty of Sleep
It is vitally important that we make sure we get plenty of sleep at night time because the less sleep we have the easier it will be for our minds to slip into a hypomanic or manic episode.
3) Do not drink too much caffeine or energy drinks
This one is particularly tough for me because I LOVE Mountain Dew but I have come to the realization that drinking too much caffeine can, and often does, trigger mania and hypomania episodes. I am not saying that we cannot enjoy a good soda here and there, but we must be careful not to over consume too much caffeine.
4) Do not over stimulate the mind
Sometimes we need to stay away from electronic devices because too much stimulation to our minds can trigger mania and hypomanic episodes. This one is tough for me because I love watching movies and tv shows and I love playing video games too. However, we need to make sure we take time to give our minds a chance to relax too.
5) Meditate on the word of God
I cannot stress enough how important biblical meditation really is. We need to make sure we stay grounded in God's word daily and that we hide His word in our hearts too. If we are meditating day and night on His word, then we will be more at peace in our minds.
I hope that this blog helps you properly understand mania and hypomania and how to manage these symptoms. Thank you for reading this blog and may the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all! Soli Deo Gloria!
-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate
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