Hypomanic success stories?

There's many threads on the crazy things people do when manic / hypomanic. Was just wondering if people have stories of when hypomania has actually made them really productive and successful. Have you started a successful business while hypomanic and managed to keep it going? Did you actually manage to write the great american novel in a few weeks? Please share, if so.

Ask this again in about 5 years which is the ETA that I'll turn my disability check into 7 digits if my account behaves the way it's backtested for the last 2.5 years. /crosses fingers

I'm using the Metatrader program to automate my trading to protect myself from stopping during down cycles and over trading during hypomanic episodes. When hypomanic I backtest new strategies and if it looks better than the current one, I let it run.

Need to add a disclaimer... What I'm doing is highly risky and it's possible to lose your shirt doing it. I'm in a situation that I can loose everything and it not really effect me. Look into doing this at your own risk.

Exiled. wrote:Ask this again in about 5 years which is the ETA that I'll turn my disability check into 7 digits if my account behaves the way it's backtested for the last 2.5 years. /crosses fingers

Interesting. I used to play a lot of internet poker - not dissimilar to trading. And stopped as I just don't have the mentality to stop when I'm losing (as with most of the human race).

Have you actually managed to make much money so far?

I read Nick Leeson's autobiography recently. Its interesting reading if you haven't already read it

http://www.amazon.com/Rogue-Trader-Nick ... 0751517089

darkroses wrote:Interesting. I used to play a lot of internet poker - not dissimilar to trading. And stopped as I just don't have the mentality to stop when I'm losing (as with most of the human race).

Have you actually managed to make much money so far?

Did some internet poker myself. First day I did it I was on fire. So much so that the company that did it thought they needed to give me a call to make sure I was legit. After they called I lost everything. lol...

I've had the program running for 3 months. First month I made 19%, second month I lost 1%, and this month I'm up by about 1%.

I'll give that autobiography a look. Thanks for the link.

I was watching my son in a 1/2 Ironman thriathlon a couple of weeks ago.
The mile swim is the first of the swim, bike, run.
I saw one fellow get into trouble in the first 100 yards of the swim. He was picked up by the life guards. When he came out of the water, it was obvious he was 100 lbs overweight. It made me wonder if his idea of doing a 1/2 ironman was induced by mania... His dream crashed dramatically with the reality that he wasn't prepared.

That wasn't quite the kind of story I was looking for, Skilsaw Although thanks for posting, its certainly an intriguing tale.

In retrospect, the title of this thread is quite silly, and I regret phrasing it like that. I've been thinking recently about the face that if you are to be very successful at something, it can help to have an enormous confidence in yourself, which is what hypomania brings. But its keeping this force in balance with the dangerous sides of hypomania that is so difficult...

Well it's an interesting question any way, even if I'm not quite sure what you're looking for, but here's my story:
I was somewhat successful in a high-end network marketing company for 8 years. By 'somewhat' I mean I would get wildly successful, then crash and burn, over and over throughout those years. My paychecks literally ranged form $3,375 to $31 within that 8 years. I would promote to higher levels with pay raises, then lose the title and pay raise, only to earn it back again. I was at one time half-way through the qualification to promote to Regional Vice President and earn the white Mercedes, only to watch it all slip away.
*NOTE: I was undiagnosed and unmedicated this whole time.
11 years earlier had been misdiagnosed w/anxiety, & did not think it required meds or therapy.
Just last fall finally went back to therapy as I felt I was losing my grip on life, and as soon as I described my symptoms/life I was immediately diagnosed Bipolar I. They looked at me with wide eyes, in disbelief I had been living so long w/o help.
So, just 7-8 months into the diagnosis at this time, I am still kind of unable to differentiate between hypo- and full-on mania... I'm not sure what levels I was reaching during my business growth phases, but I know it freaking rocked. I was such a rockstar, the whole business came so easily & naturally to me. I made great paychecks with very little hours worked and could be a stay-at-home (hardly-at-home ) single mom. I bought nice clothes, had mani's & pedi's, took my kids to the Bahama's... I did whatever I wanted and felt like a million bucks!
Until of course, the crash would come and I would be on the couch for literally months. Technically my business kept operating automatically online, but paychecks were MUCH smaller when I was not out there shining like a star, and if the depression lasted long enough that's when I would de-mote and lose my pay level. Then start allllll over and do it again... and again...!
In hindsight I see that my business flopped around like a rag doll at the mercy of unbridled bipolar. The only reason I never quit was because it was the only, and I mean the ONLY job that I had never been (and could never be) fired from. Because I was the owner. But now I have failed & quit forever, as my predictable pattern of pure episodes for the past 11 years took a a freaking acid trip and now I'm in a mixed episode. I cannot even pretend to fake my way through normal life in this state ~ I am hypo underneath with little sleep & zero appetite, but all the darkness and disabling of depression at the same time... omg, whoever invented mixed episodes should be fired. Lol, sorry,rant.

crackerjack wrote:as soon as I described my symptoms/life I was immediately diagnosed Bipolar I.

Why were you diagnosed BP1 rather than 2 as a matter of interest? Do you get actual psychotic symptoms during your manic episodes?

crackerjack wrote: Lol, sorry,rant.

No need to apologise I enjoyed the rant. Its always so interesting hearing other peoples' stories.Sorry to hear that you're having a mixed episode. How long has it lasted? I've experienced rapid cycling between moods, but not the mixture of hypomania and depression that you describe.

In December 2011 I was at that GOOD hypo stage. Within four days I have met my boyfriend whom I love and cherish to this day and did a full-day workshop that would change my views on career I'd like to pursue forever. Later on I decided I wanted to apply for Dutch passport, which requires an exam involving Dutch language and culture. I went for the earliest possible date, prepared within two months, went and passed with over 75% score at first go.

If I managed to stay in that hypomania by now you would be calling me "Mr Oliveira, o ruler of worlds".

When i have been hypomanic , i have executed extremely difficult dangerous driving maneuvers . That is success enough for me