If someone you love has or may have bipolar disorder, you need to know the signs that point to a manic episode. If you see a group of these behaviors, your loved one should contact his or her doctor.
Difficulty Level: average Time Required: 10 minutes to read
Here's How:
- Make note of change in sleeping patterns, especially if your loved one has lots of energy on just a few hours of sleep.
- Is she restlessly searching for ways to work off extra energy? Washing the car every day? Make note of this.
- Be alert to increased talkativeness. If her mouth runneth over, this could be another symptom, especially if the talk seems pressured.
- Be aware if your loved one starts making "clang" associations - such as going on about microphones, xylophones and bites o' cones.
- If your spouse/partner is suddenly more sexually demanding, enjoy it - but it could be a symptom.
- Check your phone bill for calls to 900 sex numbers. This, unfortunately, is another symptom of bipolar hypersexuality.
- Study your credit card bills diligently! Mania can cause disastrous spending sprees. Consider taking the cards and checkbook away.
- Notice if he complains that his thoughts are racing uncontrollably.
- Be on the alert if she starts having delusions of grandeur - for example, making exaggerated plans like "I'm going to quit my job and write a novel" or "Let's move to Yemen this weekend!"
- Watch out for unreasonable irritability and/or hostility. This is not just a symptom - it can be dangerous. Be cautious!
- Increased religious zeal or involvement can be another sign of mania. Make note of this if you see it.
- If she describes auditory or visual hallucinations or shows paranoid behavior, contact her psychiatrist immediately. These are serious symptoms.
- During a manic episode, a person is likely to wear brightly colored or flamboyant clothing. Note this if it occurs with other symptoms.
- If manic symptoms occur following a change in medications, contact the prescribing doctor promptly.
- Make a pact with your loved one that if you bring these behaviors to his attention, he will contact his doctor.
- If your spouse/partner has a pattern of manic spending sprees, keep money in your name only.
- This is not an exhaustive list of symptoms. You will learn more by observation and from the links below. Be sure to add your loved one's specific red flags to this list!
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