Mania is a difficult thing to deal with when you have Bipolar disorder. When someone is manic, they tend to get delusional and they could feel invincible. We know a lot about mania, but what does not get talked about is it's lesser form, hypomania. What exactly is hypomania? According to the Cleveland Clinic, Hypomania
"is a condition where you experience revved-up energy or activity level, mood, or behavior"
People in a hypomanic state can experience high-risk behaviors such as overspending and sleeping with multiple partners. Hypomania is usually followed up by a full-blown mania episode. This is why it is vital to catch yourself in a hypomanic state to bring yourself back down before you go into a manic state. This is difficult to do because we usually do not even realize we are hypomanic. However, this is why our loved ones are so important because they will be able to notice the signs before we do. If a loved one says we are hypomanic, it is good for us to consider the possibility.
As I have said earlier, overspending is one of the biggest signs of hypomania. When we get into a hypomanic state, it is difficult for us to control our spending habits. I know this is true in my own life. When I am hypomanic, I tend to blow right through any money I have on things I do not really need. This is especially harmful since I am on SSDI and do not have much money to begin with. Since I realize this, there are some precautions I must take to make sure I do not overspend my money. In this blog, I shall discuss some ways that can help keep you from overspending when you are in a hypomanic state. I have found that there are three things that you can do to prevent overspending. They are: 1) Give your debit or credit card to a trusted loved one, 2) Stay away from online shopping, and 3) Do not leave the house with your wallet or purse. I will elaborate on each of these points, but first I'd like to say that these are not the only things you can do to prevent overspending. these are just the most beneficial things you can do. If you can think of more, please let me know in the comments section. Now, time for me to elaborate on my points.
Give Your Debit or Credit Card To A Trusted Loved One
This one only works if you indeed have a trusted loved one in your life such as a parent, spouse, sibling, or good friend. The idea behind this is if your loved one notices you in a hypomanic state, they can temporarily take your debit card or credit card to prevent you from using it while you are in that state of mind. They do not need to permanently take your card from you and neither should they do that. It will be difficult at first to forfeit your credit because it will seem like you are being treated as a child who is losing your favorite toy, but it is well worth it over losing all of your money due to a lack of self-control.
Stay Away From Online Shopping
This one is probably the most difficult thing to do, especially for myself because I absolutely love Amazon. Amazon makes it so easy to buy things and they have everything you could ever want. This is why online shopping is our worst enemy when we are in a hypomanic state of mind. The best thing we can do is forcefully restrain ourselves from going onto online shopping sites. This will take a whole lot of self-restraint on our part. So, if we find this one to be too difficult, it may be best to have our loved one temporarily change our password until we are no longer in a hypomanic state of mind.
Do Not Leave The House With Your Wallet Or Purse
This one is pretty difficult as well because so many of us are used to bringing our wallets and purses with us everywhere we go. It is so common to us that it has become almost a force of habit. However, whenever we are in a hypomanic state, this could be the worst thing we can do. I know that when I am hypomanic, I tend to make frequent trips to the corner store to buy snacks and other non-essential things. This is why it is important for me to not bring my wallet with me when I go on walks. This takes a lot of self-awareness and self-restraint too. So, if you find this to be too difficult for you, then it is wise to temporarily give your trusted loved one your wallet or purse.
I hope that this blog helps you to know how to manage your money better while you are in a hypomanic state of mind. These tips are not easy to follow and God knows that even I struggle to follow them myself. However, if you can master these tips, your bank account will appreciate it. If you have already failed at managing your money, do not feel shame. As the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:1,
"is a condition where you experience revved-up energy or activity level, mood, or behavior"
People in a hypomanic state can experience high-risk behaviors such as overspending and sleeping with multiple partners. Hypomania is usually followed up by a full-blown mania episode. This is why it is vital to catch yourself in a hypomanic state to bring yourself back down before you go into a manic state. This is difficult to do because we usually do not even realize we are hypomanic. However, this is why our loved ones are so important because they will be able to notice the signs before we do. If a loved one says we are hypomanic, it is good for us to consider the possibility.
As I have said earlier, overspending is one of the biggest signs of hypomania. When we get into a hypomanic state, it is difficult for us to control our spending habits. I know this is true in my own life. When I am hypomanic, I tend to blow right through any money I have on things I do not really need. This is especially harmful since I am on SSDI and do not have much money to begin with. Since I realize this, there are some precautions I must take to make sure I do not overspend my money. In this blog, I shall discuss some ways that can help keep you from overspending when you are in a hypomanic state. I have found that there are three things that you can do to prevent overspending. They are: 1) Give your debit or credit card to a trusted loved one, 2) Stay away from online shopping, and 3) Do not leave the house with your wallet or purse. I will elaborate on each of these points, but first I'd like to say that these are not the only things you can do to prevent overspending. these are just the most beneficial things you can do. If you can think of more, please let me know in the comments section. Now, time for me to elaborate on my points.
Give Your Debit or Credit Card To A Trusted Loved One
This one only works if you indeed have a trusted loved one in your life such as a parent, spouse, sibling, or good friend. The idea behind this is if your loved one notices you in a hypomanic state, they can temporarily take your debit card or credit card to prevent you from using it while you are in that state of mind. They do not need to permanently take your card from you and neither should they do that. It will be difficult at first to forfeit your credit because it will seem like you are being treated as a child who is losing your favorite toy, but it is well worth it over losing all of your money due to a lack of self-control.
Stay Away From Online Shopping
This one is probably the most difficult thing to do, especially for myself because I absolutely love Amazon. Amazon makes it so easy to buy things and they have everything you could ever want. This is why online shopping is our worst enemy when we are in a hypomanic state of mind. The best thing we can do is forcefully restrain ourselves from going onto online shopping sites. This will take a whole lot of self-restraint on our part. So, if we find this one to be too difficult, it may be best to have our loved one temporarily change our password until we are no longer in a hypomanic state of mind.
Do Not Leave The House With Your Wallet Or Purse
This one is pretty difficult as well because so many of us are used to bringing our wallets and purses with us everywhere we go. It is so common to us that it has become almost a force of habit. However, whenever we are in a hypomanic state, this could be the worst thing we can do. I know that when I am hypomanic, I tend to make frequent trips to the corner store to buy snacks and other non-essential things. This is why it is important for me to not bring my wallet with me when I go on walks. This takes a lot of self-awareness and self-restraint too. So, if you find this to be too difficult for you, then it is wise to temporarily give your trusted loved one your wallet or purse.
I hope that this blog helps you to know how to manage your money better while you are in a hypomanic state of mind. These tips are not easy to follow and God knows that even I struggle to follow them myself. However, if you can master these tips, your bank account will appreciate it. If you have already failed at managing your money, do not feel shame. As the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:1,
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus"
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and may the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all!
-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate
Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website
-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate
Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website
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