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Posted 7/31/2007 4:22 PM (GMT 0)
Hey people. What are your main triggers that esculate an episode?

Lack of sleep is the main one I would imagine, but I was wondering what else sets your mood off...

For me personally, I noticed last week that a social situation can trigger hypomania for me, I noticed the change in my voice and the incoherent thoughts after having a conversation during work.

Have you's found specific events create a change in your mood?
Posted 7/31/2007 5:33 PM (GMT 0)
Shine,

Some of the triggesrs I have that start before an episode are lack of sleep, anxiety, stress and anger.  I usually spend tons of time with people, then I go into an isolation mode, bizarre.  Change in my mood follow a few days after that, then things get really blurry.  I get manic or mixed episodes.

Posted 7/31/2007 5:55 PM (GMT 0)
My triggers are:

 

Lack of sleep is number 1 - When I can't sleep I know what's coming

 

Counting usually follows lack of sleep - I'll actually wake up counting and continue to do so through out the day

 

These things bother me when I'm having an episode,  and normally wouldn't when I wasn't :

 

Someone irritating me - My hubby getting off late, Someone being rude to me, Being cut off on the freeway, People pushing me to do things I don't want to do, Someone makling stupid jokes, Someone trying to make me feel guilty (remember yesterdays post), People who sits in their car reading at the gas station when someone is waiting behing them, People who invade my space when standing in line at the safeway or blockbuster or anywhere for that matter

 

When I wake up and feel like I have nothing to look forward to or feel like I have too much to do thats sort of a sign also.

 

I'll just leave it with these - but there are so many. Often times they change.

Posted 7/31/2007 6:09 PM (GMT 0)
  I was just thinking about this the other day.  I went through a mania that lasted several days (10ish).  It was the first one that I have gone through since being diagnosed, so it was the first one that I was aware of what it was while it was happening. ( Weird )  I think that it was actually worse than normal just because I knew what the symptoms were supposed to be, so I fulfilled them subconsciously.   After that, I fell into a depression.   I think that it was the lack of sleep in the mania that triggered the depression. Now that I have had a bit more sleep and a good cry, I feel a bit better.  Not the high that I had before (which was getting distracting anyway- but I got a lot done), but not the crushing depths that I would normally have.   I don't know , I know that social situations that usually scare other people (meeting strangers, public speaking) energize me.  The problem is that the higher I go in the situation, the lower I go afterward. I still haven't figured out what "normal" is supposed to be.   Where is that?  How do I keep it?  (All this is on meds for the last 6 weeks.  Both mood stabilizer and antidepressants.)  
Posted 7/31/2007 6:36 PM (GMT 0)

Thanks for your replies guys. I'm trying to write down a list of obvious triggers that I've not been putting much effort into avoiding.

1- Stress (especially the stress which comes from concentration)

2- Social situations (likely to make me hypomanic)

3- Drugs (I think this goes without saying)

4- Lack of sleep (seems common for all of us)

5- Medications such as SSRI's (they mean full blown mania for me)

 

I think that it was actually worse than normal just because I knew what the symptoms were supposed to be, so I fulfilled them subconsciously. said...

I can relate and understand this. This was also the first time I actually watched the mania as it was happening, I saw the insanity in my actions, but couldn't really control it or understand why I was doing it. This is what made me think it's a lot to do with an inflated ego, almost a defense mechanism to extreme levels.

The difference here is that I don't take medications because I don't believe in them. They would also interrupt with a lot of things I want to do with in my life such as travel. I am quite stubborn when it comes to accepting the limitations of having a mental illness.

I still haven't figured out what "normal" is supposed to be. Where is that? How do I keep it? said...

I can somewhat understand what it is supposed to be- for me it's about being relaxed and aware of things going on in the present moment without letting thoughts,feelings or moods interfere with my life. Unfortunately I don't know how to keep it...that's why we're all here I guess.

 

Posted 7/31/2007 8:48 PM (GMT 0)
Lack of sleep makes everything in my life more difficult and less tolerable. I agree with Zomese, even things like standing in line at Safeway makes me soooo angry, esp. if people are getting too close. Or people talking to me at work, asking me to do certain tasks... I get very resentful.

Wishing I could figure out what "normal" is too...
Posted 7/31/2007 9:33 PM (GMT 0)
All of the above sound very familiar to me as well. I'd add two:

I tend to have an overactive imagination and I'm a very bookish person, so I have to be real careful about what I read and what I watch. I read an awful book in April that really augmented a mixed episode that was already brewing. I like to read books and watch movies with depressed or "crazy" characters, (especially during episodes) but they just trigger me, so I really have to avoid them.

Food also triggers me because I'm a binger. If I find myself binging more and more, I know something is coming and I better try and rein it in or talk to the doc.

serafena
Posted 7/31/2007 9:49 PM (GMT 0)
^

That's one I never even thought of. If I'm over eating (pleasure eating as opposed to only eating when I'm hungry) it's usually that hypomania is just around the bend. Thanks serafena :)
Posted 8/1/2007 1:26 AM (GMT 0)
Anytime. :) *Passes box of Oreos*
Posted 8/1/2007 3:39 PM (GMT 0)
You know, I thought I just didn't have willpower. You mean I can blame my crazy diet binges on the BP? Does it count for housework too? How about the pile on my desk that used to be my "in box"? All BP...?
Posted 8/2/2007 1:42 AM (GMT 0)
*Laughing* Sure... Why not? It would explain a lot.

Incidentally, I don't mean just breaking my diet, I really mean eating a whole box of Oreos, or darn close -- that kind of bingeing. When I'm healthy, I don't do that. In fact, Topomax has really helped me with the bingeing. So if I start up again, it's a bad sign. But I could see that poor diet choices could definitely be triggers for someone with more normal eating patterns as well.
Posted 8/2/2007 3:08 PM (GMT 0)
I am just newly dx'd with bp, so my understanding of it is definitely a work in progress. My husband suggested I read this posting, and I have to say that everyday I am surprised by the new things I am learning about myself and how bp relates to me. The food thing is a definite trigger for me to keep me up...however it was also playing a very damaging part in self image and esteem, yet I couldn't get past the idea that it was offering me comfort and control. Since I have quit my "extra-curicular" eating as I like to call it I have lost 45 lbs. and striving to lose more.

Something I just thought about this morning was that I think "lying" was also a huge trigger for me. I think the more desparate I felt for some type of gratification, the more I lied and the more grandiose the lies would become. I viewed lying as easier than telling the truth, and as a means of keeping people interested in me. I see it all now as very sad.

For me, sleep is a clear indicator of when I am down, and before all this came out , a clear indicator of avoidance of issues. Either my mind was racing ( which I did not recognize as racing at the time.....I thought it was "normal") or I would shut it right down with sleep. I could sleep at the drop of a hat. I would get up after a full night's sleep and be ready to nap an hour later. Getting out of bed was a chore to say the least.

I hope this helps it some way; like I said this is a complete learning experience for me as well. I am thankful for my husband who has helped me so much with this learning process.

Dutchie
Posted 8/2/2007 11:30 PM (GMT 0)
dutchie,

Just from reading your posts on the boards, it's clear that you are working so hard to understand the complexities of this crazy disorder and figure out how it affects you. It's really inspirational to listen in on that. You're doing really hard work. Some people go their whole lives ignoring the bp. Some people hope the pills will solve all their problems and never worry about therapy or behavioral issues or anything like that. You seem to be trying to really embrace it and learn how to keep it under control. I admire that. It's still a learning process for me too, years after getting my dx. I suppose it always will be.

serafena
Posted 8/4/2007 5:21 PM (GMT 0)
Serafena

Thank you for your encouraging words, it means so much to have support and encouragement from people that don't even know us personally. I have been in a down state for about half a week now, and taking time to recognize triggers is I know a very important part of all of this. I have been getting less sleep than I know I should and I am dealing with the stress of how Footballfan is feeling. I know my moods are linked closely with Footballfan...but I don't know how to prevent that.

I'm doing my best to climb out of this pit I am in, and I want to pull Footballfan with me. I feel like I am the one that put the pain in his life so it is up to me to correct that for him. I find it scary and overwhelming when I can't. I want so desperately to now protect him from pain.

Dutchie
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