Why do people see hypomania as 'harmless'?

It is far from harmless (I knw it from experience), but it surely is less harmless than mania. I've only been hypomanic I think (at least that's what they told me), but from what I read during mania you have absolutely no control over what you do. In hypomania, at least I had some control. It did cause damage - when I was hypomanic, while taking 50 mg of sertraline, I spent 1 or 2 weeks singing, reading, buying useless things, and making fabulous drawings, when I should have been studying for 2 exams that I obviously failed. But the good thing about it is that I realised that I was in an altered state, i just didn't tell my doctor sooner because it felt better than being in the shithole I'd been just 2 weeks before. I eventually told her and stopped the sertraline, even though it took another week to return to normal.

It is hard to say which is more harmful. Even in slight depression, I am no joy to be around. It has cost me friendships mostly by "not adding". I don't have any close friends that I have known less than 25 years. I have a few guys I can get up with to go fishing, but being the brooding guy who rarely calls didn't deepen any friendships. Depression has a big impact on median life expectancy, (7 to 11 years, according to an article on Oxford University's site http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2014-05-23-many-mental-illnesses-reduce-life-expectancy-more-heavy-smoking) but I am never suicidal, which is a factor that brings the median down.
I didn't see any figures for hypomania/mania but that would be difficult to break out. A lot of depressed patients only have depression and a lot of bipolar patients are depressed far more often than hypomanic/manic.

"Mania" is HARMLESS.

Mania is not harmless.

Hypomanic episodes have the same symptoms as manic episodes with two important differences: the mood usually isn’t severe enough to cause problems with the person working or socializing with others (e.g., they don’t have to take time off work during the episode), or to require hospitalization; and there are never any psychotic features present during the episode.

Maybe what you experience, IS full-blown mania, considering your signature says you have bipolar i. I have never been hypomanic, only full-blown mania. And it is dangerous. I have been hospitalized for it.

David1999 wrote:"Mania" is HARMLESS.

I dunno man... even if you don't count all the generally social stuff I do when manic, I once leapt off a room cuz I was pretty sure that I could figure out flying with a can-do attitude. Lol. I just barely landed in a pool, fortunately.

Probably because hypomania is mild enough that it won't impair daily functioning and it never features psychosis.

hypomania made me drink like an alcoholic. That problem lasted 20 years so you are right. It most certainly is not harmless. I have a ton of drinking war stories that I will never recover from.Thankfully a combo of lamictal and abilify maintena cured that godawful problem.

sammymaguire wrote:hypomania made me drink like an alcoholic. That problem lasted 20 years so you are right. It most certainly is not harmless. I have a ton of drinking war stories that I will never recover from.Thankfully a combo of lamictal and abilify maintena cured that godawful problem.

A substance use disorder is what makes me drink. I drank more when depressed, but I was usually depressed. Lamictal has moved my "center" from slightly depressed to slightly hypo and it has made it easier for me to quit drinking (only 6 weeks in right now, but only about 10 weeks in on lamictal).

David started this thread after we had a discussion on another thread where I said I am happy with my center being slightly hypo. I still am; as time goes by i am only more convinced this is substantially better than being depressed all the time.

UpDownAround wrote:

sammymaguire wrote:hypomania made me drink like an alcoholic. That problem lasted 20 years so you are right. It most certainly is not harmless. I have a ton of drinking war stories that I will never recover from.Thankfully a combo of lamictal and abilify maintena cured that godawful problem.

A substance use disorder is what makes me drink. I drank more when depressed, but I was usually depressed. Lamictal has moved my "center" from slightly depressed to slightly hypo and it has made it easier for me to quit drinking (only 6 weeks in right now, but only about 10 weeks in on lamictal).

I definitely drink most when manic... Just makes me feel good. I spent about three years consistently drunk after my last trial-and-error drug trials that never produced any helpful effects. My life was in pieces and it was more fun to get blackout drunk than deal with the fallout from changing meds every 2 months for a year. I got it under control when I turned 21 (ironic) but I still have to watch myself.

I probably also drank when hypomanic, but that was only about 10-12 days a year. The rest of the time I was depressed, Sometimes only slightly, but depressed. The last couple of months have been amazing!