Manic help

Hi new here , posting as can’t sit still been like a month now started abilify about three weeks Afon . It’s hard work think I’m driving My family insane as I’m constantly moving evenings are the worse !

Hi and a warm welcome to the forum from me! Obviously no one here can 'diagnose' what you're struggling with here but I've read that Abilify can cause akathisia, a movement disorder which causes extreme restlessness and an inability to stop moving. However, I've also read (and experienced) that this agitation can also come from the manic episode itself.

Either way, I'd definitely be giving my pdoc (psychiatrist) a call to arrange an earlier appointment as it's likely your meds may need to be tweaked to help deal with the restlessness. Hope this helps.

Welcome!

I'm sorry this is causing you so much distress. I know what it's like to not be able to sit still. Usually I rock, bounce my leg, and/or pretend that I'm drumming. My dog is also really good at calming me down if I'm hyperactive. Try hanging out with a pet, if you have one. I'm an athlete too, and sometimes working out helps ease the restlessness, especially something really vigorous. Maybe try that?

A lot of times I think some coping mechanism techniques they preach are silly, but my psychiatrist convinced me to start dunking my face/head in ice water or taking a cold shower, and sometimes it actually helps. If the other stuff I mentioned can't apply to you, definitely try this. When nothing else seems to work, and I'm a little desperate, this at least grounds me for a minute so I can collect myself.

Best of luck to you, and PM me anytime!
-Breezewriter

If you can I would try to walk/jog a few miles every morning.

Welcome to the forum!

When I'm fully manic, I can't sit still, either. I'll stand up and sit back down over and over again, I'll bob my head back and forth, almost like listening to someone play a high tempo rhythmic bass line. If I try to sleep, I'll sit up in bed, look around, talk to myself, blink really fast, move my tongue or lips around. It's absolutely horrible, and I have no idea of how to overcome it