It's in the air. You can feel it! You can smell it! You can taste the enthusiasm and excitement like a bolt of candy-laced lightning that has been frozen in time! It's Obama country and everybody is pumped up!
Well, when you live with Bipolar, certain situations can get you pumped up on a daily basis in life. I mean PUMPED UP! Your brain's serotonin and adrenaline increases. This can lead to hypomania. What is hypomania?
Hypomania makes you feel realy, REALLY GOOD! Your productivity and functioning increases beyond what is normal for you. Your mood seems to "freeze" in high suspension and that is NOT good...!!
With this sudden increase in mood, an individual with bipolarity can be thrown into a worse state such as grandiosity, sleeplessness, restlessness, or even worse--severe mania needing hospitalization.
Not to fear folks, I'm grounded, but I recognize that I must be careful with mental wellness maintenance. I have to be sure to rest and sleep. I had to actually take a few extra doses of medication to calm my racing thoughts and excitement since the election results came in. I needed to sleep! I also needed to cut down the time on the inernet as well. Not because I did not want to enjoy all the OBAMA news, but because I had to monitor my mood and exposure to OBAMA country kept me EXcited and charged up. I had to more or less take a few more breaks (but I got tons of stuff saved, teehee).
Sleeping is the most important way to rest the brain. It is designed by God that man receive 6 to 8 hours of sleep in a 24-hour day. When we over-expose the brain by not sleeping, we are walking on dangerous territory with brain injury. Did you know that if you do not sleep in 72 hours, you could actually die?
When I first had my nervous breakdown and was diagnosed with Bipolar, I had not slept in 48+ hours. My mind was racing a mile a second and I was talking out of my head. After being hospitalized and medicated, it was another 32 hours before I actually slept and I mean I was being given sleeping medicine through IV, but my mind was that far out there from lack of sleep.
Thus, I know and understand now that sleep is very, very important. When I take a regular dose of medication, I typically get drowsey. When I took my regular meds the first few days after the election, I did not get drowsey. That told me that my chemicals were higher than what is normal for me, but NOT out of whack. Because I have a wellness plan with my doctors, I knew just what to do. I increased my doses of medication as they have prescribed and kept my environment especially quiet and little to no computer contact. I had to allow my chemicals to fall back down to normalcy.
Now, I am back to normal range I can tell so I do not need to be hospitalized. My prayer is to make it through innauguration WITHOUT "crashing." Smile.
This is how everyone can help those of us who are Bipolar...don't offer us any alcohol or drugs during this exciting time. I tell you ain't nothing like an ice cold Ginger Beer or sparkling glass of cider!:)-
If you can do so kindly, watch over our sugar intake as well. Sugar increases the "natural" high we experience due to the chemical imbalance.
Watch over us lovingly and make sure we get our sleep, too. If we want to dance, scream, cry, shout on January 20, 2009, please allow us to because we are not being "crazy," we are just as happy as you are.
However, if we suddenly believe we, too, are the president of these united states or similar "grandiose" thoughts, come with us to a nearby hospital and help us get back on track the right way.
I'm loving you today for allowing me to "downsize" my excitement last week without shame and embarrassment.
Agnes B. Levine
Author of: "Cooling Well Water: A Collection of Work By An African-American Bipolar Woman" ISBN 0975461206 Winter 2008 Release Pending
www.myspace.com/coolingwellwater (Subscribe Now)
Founder/President: Levine-Oliver Publisher, the Exclusive publishing home of Swaggie Coleman. Support Swaggie's Voice© at:
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Posted By: agnes levine
Sunday, November 16th 2008 at 7:45AM
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