Has anyone done anything stupid while manic?

[Martha]

I went through a manic period all this week - no sleeping or eating for 4 days, racing thoughts, the usual... then I went & did something stupid. I decided to go shopping and for some reason I stole some makeup. Well, on my way out the door I got caught by security and was arrested and taken to jail. I have never been in trouble before - this is just not me. My therapist says it is a hallmark symptom of mania. My mania has never been this out of control before & it really scared me. In fact, I am still scared for future mania episodes and how to control them so I won't do anything stupid again. I am still getting use to my illness and learning how to control it, but it surprises me every time I get manic.

[NG]

Hi Martha,

I'm sorry to hear about your mom. That's so difficult especially while you are getting use to this illness. I've had BP1 for 12 years and I'm still getting use to it. I just got a couple of newer books out of the library and have been reading some things about BP that I didn't know and I thought I had educated myself fairly well..still learning and still getting use to it!
Anyway, I wanted to let you know in reading your question and the replies here it really made me think about the things that I've done while I've been in a manic episode. I wouldn't label them stupid because I tend to be hard on myselff and haven't forgiven myself for something I did almost 3 years ago while I was in an episode. I am trying to practice daily to be more kind to me, as kind as I usually am to everyone else.

This post and the replies really helped, so thanks!

[withavengeance]

If God can forgive us, then why can't we forgive ourselves?

Wish I knew.

[My idol]

Martha, you sound like a really good person (as does everybody I've encountered on this forum!) You read what you can about bipolar and you're on this forum, so that shows that you want to take care of yourself. Besides being compliant with your meds, that's all you can do. We can't change the past as most of us would like, but we can strive toward a healthy future.
Best wishes, all,
Linda

[Daisy]

Don't apologize Martha. you are right and in fact after reading what I wrote I realized how bad it was. Yesterday a friend called and asked me to come over to her house and I told her I would and then later I called her back and said I changed my mind cause it would be to dangerous to drive back cause I hadn't slept for 2 days and I knew I would start dosing off while I was driving back.
I'm sorry about your mom and your brother. I don't want to ever lose any of my family and I guess that I should realise that they don't want to lose me either.

[Martha]

I was just worried about you & I didn't want to hurt your feelings. I just wanted you to know that your post worried me and I was concerned for you.

[Bob's My Uncle]

The term Manic denotes something stupid will happen. Clepto lost a highly regarded institution's President his job and got him a diagnosis of BP a few years ago.

I disguised myself as my friend's cousin ... so stupid. I signed up on an on-line dating site and my wife sees all the Visa bills really stupid ... I cancelled it.

I started smoking ... stupid.

We are space cadets during mania. Caution is advised.

[My Dualities]

My most embarrassing moment while manic happened before I was diagnosed as bipolar. During my sophomore year in college, I went to my oral communications class to take my semester final, but told them all off for making one of my friends uncomfortable in the class. Since I had everyone's attention, I proceeded in telling them all that they needed to spread the word and join forces to save the world from racial war to end all wars. Y2K was going to bring death to everyone if we didn't stop it. My teacher had to stop my rant so everyone could take the final. I sat down, filled out the scantron in random order, then walked out of the class. I didn't keep my A after that outburst, but the next day my other professor got me the help I needed. I look back and wish I protested that grade, but i didn't want more people to find out I was bipolar than was necessary at the time. I was so ashamed back then.
Martha--I'm sorry about your mother, and doing unusual activities while manic is "normal." :) I hate that word!

[Martha]

Thanks - I appreciate you thinking of me. I am still getting used to my Bipolar & recogonizing it's symptoms. In the past I usually only have hypomania episodes where I just feel great and not over the top. I may talk really fast & change subjects frequently - but other then that nothing I can't handle. This was my first Big manic episode and it really scared me. I really was not paying attention to the signs - I had not slept for 3 days and was not eating at all. That night I just decided to go shopping and for some reason I took some makeup and of course got caught. Everyone kept asking if I was OK - I was in shock from being caught & also very manic. By the way locking someone up in a tin cell when they are manic is pure torture. I got very closterphobic and very hot. If you only knew me you would know this wasn't like me at all - it's just not my character to steal. The next day I called my therapist and he immediately identified it as mania and told me to call my pdoc asap! I got off my Wellbutrin and that seems to have helped - now I am just tired.

[Donna]

My husband was working nights and I was very manic. I was in my creative stage, so I sponge painted a window in my house so I wouldn't have to put a curtain on it. Looked stupid and took me a long time to get off .

[My idol]

That's a good one, Donna. It was certainly benign enough as far as manic episodes go!

[becky kean]

mania can consume all sense of rationality and sanity I know often when i am manic I almost feel removed from myself and am watching from aside and can control or rationilze my odd behavoir it is the mania ..I have learned to watch for clues in my thought pattern ,feelings,and descion and try to keep myself in check the minute i recgonize the signs I tell my fiancee so he know i am feeling not well refering to the mania and I try not go out to far what i know I a over the top ..Talking about keeping up with my Meds and being very aware of mood changes has helped me ..

[Martha]

I think that has been one of my main problems - is keeping up with my meds. Some days I just forget to take them or I'll only take one or two for some reason.. I guess if there weren't so many I would do better - but for now this cocktail seems to work for me - if I will only stay on them!