Very very manic indeed

I was doing ok for the past year.....some bouts of hypo mania and mild depression, but pretty ok overall. At least compared to what I've experienced in the past. But on April 1 (ironically on world autism day), my autistic teenage son went missing. He was missing for 21 days before we found him. Needless to say, I lost it. I was constantly crying, anxious, and depressed. I had just started a new job five weeks prior, and had to go to work everyday and pretend like everything was ok. I couldn't lose my job and the health benefits I just got and needed. That's when my trouble began. The stress put me into a spin, and then I started missing my meds here and there. After we found him, I started feeling better and then better, and better..... Leading to thinking I didn't need my meds anymore. At first I was just a little hypo manic- you know the drill..... Sleeping less, creative, productive, exciting. But over the past month, I got really manic. I spent more than $30,000 on dozens of shoes, clothes, kitchen appliances, etc...... All on credit cards. I finally called my pdoc today and he's getting me back on my lithium but I don't want to take any of the atypicals. I just get too many side effects. I didn't shop today, so that's a good thing. But I'm not sleeping. I'm down to two hours a night. So, any tips on what I can do to get myself under wraps until my meds kick in? I'm so sick of this roller coaster that is my life.

Coming off of meds immediately can have serious side effects called withdrawal. Such side effects can include seizures among other serious things. It's alright if you forget to take it one day or something but you should never stop taking them without telling your doctor first. Also, be sure to tell him about your spending problems. I don't know if you accidentally put in an extra zero, but thirty thousand dollars is a crap ton of money to spend on stuff like that. That money could buy you a nice car, or help you do some drastic renovations to your house. Heck, it's more than what I've made in two years!

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I realize it's not ideal to self titrate and taper meds, but I do appreciate the reminder about the side effects. As far as the shopping, my doc is well aware, it's no secret. And you're right, $30k is more than I have too. It's a ton, and if I wasn't manic, I'm sure I would have made better choices like you suggest, such as a car or house renovations. That's the problem with full blown severe mania..... Things that seem so senseless to everyone else in their rational kinds, feels like a good idea to the manic mind. Any way, I don't need to rehash all my manic mistakes- by the light of a rational even mind, it's all very embarrassing, and I'll just end up feeling suicidal and badly about myself. What I'm looking for are constructive tips from anyone who has been there and understands, on how I can keep myself safe until my mood levels out and my meds kick in. Thanks.

Hey,

It sounds like you've been through a major ordeal with having your son go missing, and it's no wonder the stress of maintaining your new job at the same time eventually sent your mood high and into mania. I'm sorry to hear of everything you're dealing with, including the severe overspending.

I know when I've been going high in the past, often I didn't think I needed medication and was simply 'gifted' instead (which is ordinarily unusual for me). I'd refuse to take it unless 'forced' by a family member or in hospital. However, as soon as my mood started to come down, I'd realise how it was making things worse for me and would start taking it regularly- and that's when things really improved in terms of getting the episode under control.

I know you don't want to take atypicals, and I admit the side effects can be horrible. However, I've found them to be very fast acting and effective, even for my psychotic manias. Perhaps it's worth reconsidering if a short course of an antipsychotic may be worth it?

As for how to calm things down, I find this hard without medication, but here are a few suggestions:

-Regular exercise, especially cardio like swimming and power walking/jogging, seems to help burn off excess energy temporarily
-Daily meditation. I use guided meditations I find free online and they help to slow things down a bit
-Artistic expression, like writing, painting and music, to release some of the energy
-Closing my eyes and trying to relax in bed at night even when I'm not able to sleep

Hope this helps somewhat and your treatment kicks in very soon. Take care.