Looking after ourselves
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08-06-2019 12:08 PM
08-06-2019 12:08 PM
Tips for mania
I'm currently manic and have no idea how to cope because after my manic episodes I pretty much forget everything about that episode. I also haven't been manic for over a year.
I'm looking for strategies and little things I can do with my excess energy and aggression.
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08-06-2019 02:29 PM
08-06-2019 02:29 PM
Re: Tips for mania
@The-red-centaur when I am manic I am best staying in the house as I go completely out of my mind. A warm shower then play my music really loud and fast (with earpones on) and try and sleep with hot water bottle. I find that helps me. Hope you are feeling more settled soon. xxx
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08-06-2019 06:35 PM
08-06-2019 06:35 PM
Re: Tips for mania
Sometimes vigorous activity helps
I get housework and gardening done
also dancing helps, but I have not done that enough ... hmmmm .... something to add to my life ....
this is a flash mob
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U2bdXZzel0
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09-06-2019 08:52 AM
09-06-2019 08:52 AM
Re: Tips for mania
Hey @The-red-centaur, hope you've found some good options for your excess energy today. You mentioned it has been a year since you had a manic episode – what kind of activties have you had success with in the past?
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09-06-2019 01:02 PM
09-06-2019 01:02 PM
Re: Tips for mania
At least you know you're manic @The-red-centaur.
I find cleaning good, and tend to go into a bit of a cooking frenzy.
Physical activity is also good. I walk a lot, and I tend to knock myself out with prns in the evenings because lack of sleep is they key cause and effect for me.
Take care.
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11-06-2019 10:27 AM
11-06-2019 10:27 AM
Re: Tips for mania
Ive been cleaning and walking a lot. Also finally got back to the gym.
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20-06-2019 01:06 AM
20-06-2019 01:06 AM
Re: Tips for mania
hey I'm not really sure what 'mania' actually is (I've been labelled with it in lots of different situations and eventually abandoned the concept)
But one of the things been feeling when labelled 'mania' was what I now identify as more of a Post-trauma response: very stressed out, can't calm down, hard to sleep, things afraid of very big, lots of energy mobilised etc
I used to use meds for it, now I try to avoid them - just becuase I've found that it helped me develop other ways of coping - but the meds did help back when I did use them.
The hard part for me was finding something that could 'break' the stress - if I coudln't break it it would go on for a long time that I'd be stuck in a stress response (body in survival mode), lose sleep etc.
One of the things that really helped was a kind of tibetan meditation called '3 doors' a teacher on youtube called Tenzin Wangyal I found helpful
Other things were recognising it as a fear/stress/trauma response rather than 'mania' - though it's six of one half a dozen of the other.
Peter Levine's 'somatic experiencing' technique - and his theory around high energy trauma helped too.
Expressing the emotion in not harmful ways and spending it, connecting with others who helped me feel safe, retreating from others if that helped me feel safe, feeling warm, retreating into tv shows (distraction) etc, huddling on the couch, cuddling soft toys, favourite pet friends etc
basically I discovered anything that helped me feel safe could help me shift states from 'survival mode' to 'safety mode'
The Blue Knot foundation helpline is really good though they are hard to get through to - they can offer grounding exercises that can help calm.