Managing hypomania

[Spirit_Healer]

Hello everyone,

This is my first time starting a new thread, so bear with me.

I have anxiety and schizoaffective disorder. I had a big weekend - as some of you know, my partner sat down to his first meal with my parents on Saturday. He was nervous and overwhelmed, and I was feeling it vicariously, too. He handled it really well, and found the trust and courage to tell me quietly how he was feeling as we were leaving.

I haven't been sleeping well for four nights. I slept 4 to 5 hours continuously for three nights, and then only 3 hours continuously last night. However, last night I managed to stay in bed from 9:30pm until 6am, with the help of some PRN medication for sleep. My IBS woke me up for the first 3 nights, and then kept me awake last night, until I took some traditional Chinese medicine for it. That was very effective. The sleep medication took 2 hours to kick in, but once it did, was very effective, too.

I am taking today and tomorrow off from work. My psychiatrist is on sick leave today, and my GP is fully booked for the week, and there are 5 people already on the waitlist. I have had to improvise. I reached out to my support group facilitator, who was very helpful to guide me onto the right track.

Last time I was hospitalised for mania was in 2021. Last night, I felt like mania was about to start, so I immediately put my Wellness Plan into action. This is a document I have compiled over the years, with help from my previous case manager, that lists early warning signs, strategies for staying well, distractions for overwhelm, my medication regime, key contacts and what my carers can do to help.

I think I am back on the right path, now. My carer and I worked together last night and this morning to draw up a medication regime that I think will do the job. I had hoped to get some input from my doctors, however, I couldn't. So we did our best.

Can anyone in our wonderful SANE community offer me any further advice, affirmations or suggestions? I feel euthymic (normal, stable and level mood) now. Just throwing this out to the brains trust, in case anyone can offer some pearls of wisdom to support me on my journey.

Thank you, everyone!

@tyme @Shaz51 @MJG017 @Glisten @Oaktree @Healandlove @Ru-bee @Jynx @rav3n @PeppyPatti and everyone else who stumbles across this

[Oaktree]

@Spirit_Healer 

The most important thing for hypomania is sleep. So even if you have to take something to help you sleep then do that. Also look at your sleep hygiene. Nothing stimulating an hour before bed. Turn off the tv and put away your phone. Maybe try some meditation right before bed to try and relax. Don’t take your meds until you are in bed and ready to sleep. Try not to overstimulate yourself during the day. Try not to flit between projects and don’t have too many browsers open at once on the computer. Try hard to only do one thing at a time. 
Well that’s all I can think of. Please let me know how you go

[PeppyPatti]

Good  caring for you @Spirit_Healer 

I like your check list.

The only thing that comes to mind is what  @Glisten wrote which is sleep. 

May I ask what do you do when your overwhelmed ? I usually just brush my hair in front of a mirror. Seems to calm people down ? 

[Spirit_Healer]

@PeppyPatti it depends. Ask yourself: "What do I need most right now?"

If I'm stiff with tension, I exercise. Yoga, pilates, stretches, walking, dancing to music, etc.

If I have running thoughts, I do something to quieten my mind. Mindfulness Meditation (Headspace or Smiling Mind), Mindful Breathing, Progressive muscle relaxation, Self-massage, Listen to calming music (Headspace), Art (colouring, drawing, calligraphy, photography), Cooking, Baking, Origami. Housework works, too: Ironing, folding clothes, rearranging my wardrobe, vacuuming, cleaning, mopping.

If I still need to distract my mind and it has capacity for concentration reading, playing an instrument.

If I still need to distract my mind and I don't have capacity for concentration: singing or listening to music. Pick based on what mood you are in and what mood you want to be in. Chill: Zouk, Lo-fi. Grooving: Bachata. Rhythmic: Salsa. Sassy with attitude: Reggaeton. Sophisticated: Classical classical. Dreamy: Romantic classical. Stately: Baroque classical. Curious: Contemporary. Typical: Pop.  Casually trendy: Hip-hop. Energetic: Dance Pop. Cutesy: K-Pop. Casually hip: Swing -Lindy-Hop and Charleston. You get my drift 😉

Hopefully that gives you some ideas!

[rav3n]

hey @Spirit_Healer i don't have any advice to offer but did want to say that i'm proud of you for putting your Wellness Plan into action and reaching out for support as soon as you saw the signs. that shows a lot of strength and growth. and we'll be here with you through it all 💗

[tyme]

Thank you so much for sharing @Spirit_Healer ,

If there was so such thing, you'd be the model consumer/client/participant/whatever term you prefer.

It's as though you did everything you should've. You monitored your symptoms, you reached out when you felt you needed you, you let your wellness plan kick in, you contacted who you needed to, you took time off....

Wow wow and wow.

I'm a firm believer that every step you take here is a step of learning. 

From my own lived experience, I don't hold any hard feelings as I feel every moment has taught me something.

Thank you so much for sharing. It shows us that we all have vulnerabilities and that's okay. It's not about the absence of symptoms, but rather, knowing how to manage them.

Looking forward to hearing more from you!

[Spirit_Healer]

Good morning, @tyme 

The quote on my bedroom wall says it all

 

I am taking things moment by moment, day by day. And finding value in everything that happens to me. 

[tyme]

Awesome @Spirit_Healer !

I'm a firm believer in that we find value in everything that happens to us. For me, anyway. 

It took a long time to get to this, but it is certainly true.

Hope you are okay. Thinking of you.