Triggers

I was wondering if anyone has identified triggers that mark the transition from being normal to manic or hypo manic or normal to depressed.

I generally wake up and go to bed depressed but sometimes I get thinking about cars before I go to bed and then cannot sleep for the rest of the night because my mind is bombarded with thoughts about cars and ways to modify or improve the performance, styling, and functions of my car. I will spend all night sometimes until have to get ready for work or school searching for parts and accessories and sketching ideas out in my head and on paper.

Unfortunately when I start to get manic I usually use alcohol. I have not yet determined whether I use alcohol to try and enhance the feelings of euphoria or whether I drink to try and get my mind to slow down and relax so that I can sleep or concentrate. I have gotten drunk to go to my university classes before and in once instance to write and essay. But depression always ensues after the alcohol wears off or something causes me to become upset or angry while under the influence of alcohol.

When I get depressed it is often caused by relationships or the understanding of some kind of failure or when I do not have control over a situation. I begin to feel a pain in my right hand and then can't think about anything at all, I just lie down on my bed until I fall asleep no matter what time of day.

Hey! Someone who understands!!! That sounds a lot like me. I've been on a manic/hypomanic phase for some time now just after a major depression a couple months ago. Thinking about cars gets me completely worked up! Thinking about all the things I need to do to get it into perfect shape and I feel so impatient to get it there. It keeps me up at night... but if it's not that, it's just general racing thoughts, I feel excited for no reason. Another thing is that since I quit smoking pot, I haven't really felt any depression, only mania. Im' tempted to take some or drink just to escape the annoying racing mind. I agree with you, alcohol leads to depression! So does regular marijuana use. So for me, the mania seems to be triggered by lack of sleep, or anything that I'm interested in. Depression seems to kinda sink in slowly for me, but it's usually some kind of let down that can do it, or if I drink. Look at the bright side...at least you can fall asleep and escape the pain!

Yes, I can relate to triggers. Loud music is one of mine. Alcohol and drugs complicated my bipolar. Eventually, alcohol over whelmed me and took over. It came close to taking my life away. But the good news is that I went to AA. The AA program took care of my alcholism and all my other problems besides. It's a wonderful fellowship. I have not had to take my bipolar medication for many years. I get high, get low, but I've learned to just keep on going. I can function whether I'm high or low with my bipolar.
Good Luck,
Jim S