Strategies to avoid reeling from Hypomania to Mania

Hypomania as established previously in our writings is a very functional state that can deteriorates into pathologically slippery slope of mania with no warning to either you as the subject or the people that depend on us for survival. It would therefore be helpful if the patient, or should I say the very efficient university professor, public company official or father could apply the brakes when he or she observes the first signs and symptoms of this terrible disease. I have yet to see a very driven person who doesn’t straddle the borders of normality, come closer, lock the office if you need to; you are welcome to this DIY group. idea is to give you insight and coping skills while you can still listen and not yet a DSM classification.

Establish routine for sleeping and eating and be obsessive about it, kids can mess with your schedule, not to mention a spouse.

Minimize sleep disruption and stressors.

Keep a thick skin (hippo hide) in reserve, it will come handy, more so if you married as you can’t run.

Spend nights in your bedroom even when you not drowsy.

Slow down and modify excessive behavior.

Engage in calming activities like fishing or golf, without alcohol as it will calm you now and agitate you on withdrawal.

Delay impulsive behavior, if it is right today, it will probably still be tomorrow.

Meditate and spend time on your own away from crowds, parties, shops etc.

Keep diary of your moods and reactions.

Reframe your overly inflated thoughts as symptoms and listen to your spouse sometime, it has a way of scaling you down.

Recognize if you are getting into destructive frame of mind.

Avoid stimulants like coffee.

Avoid drugs like alcohol, speed, heroine and dagga.

When you do find you can’t hold it anymore, release in a controlled manner behind closed doors, e.g rock music or classical music. Personally I found this to be very helpful, and you can modify it with a bike's primal scream under your control off a lonely freeway.

If we could do the basics right, the rate of progression into psychotic phase with total insight loss will be minimized. This will make psychotherapy and OPD treatment a lot more useful instrument in managing this condition. We will therefore keep a functional and tax contributing members of the community on the road rather than behind bars at mental institutions and dependent on social security for survival.

View our ">beauty and health site for more on this and other topics