I live on a fixed income and have little room to wiggle. I find I always get manic around payday. I have found I turn my bills into a shopping spree of sorts.

I get to sit at the computer and spend money but it is on bills first. This helps curb my appetite for spending and makes me proud of myself at the same time.

I know it sounds stupid but I love to spend money and what a better way to do it.

I find that just being alone and listening to music helps with my mania. For me, the music needs to be intense, somehow that clears my mind. Sometimes a hot shower helps. One thing I do avoid while I'm manic is driving, I get road rage.

I find when ever I want to spend money triggering so when I feel manic I can't go shopping or I'm done for. I have to take it really quiet-which often means taking extra sleep medication to tamp things down. Ramping things up means hospitalization either now or in 6 months when the depression arrives and I'm not ready for it!

I have dysphoric mania so I'm more likely to want to fight and get rowdy when I'm manic.

I've found that it helps me to keep the manic anger at bay by being active. It's well known here that I advocate cleaning the kitchen floor with a toothbrush. I turn it into a way to move furiously without anything bad happening.

I use music too. I put on a few songs on my ipod and pop in the headphones. Then I dance around my house. Anything to get the energy out in a way that won't hurt anyone, myself included.

Running my hands under cold water tends to calm me too- and is a great trick for while you're out in public. No one will think anything of someone washing their hands, but it'll help calm you.

Antipsychotics.

Reply #1 Nobody 666 That does not sound stoopid at all it is actually brilliant. It is a great suggesion for us all. It is such a simple way to get some of that out of our system. I just have to watch the add and not open five or six other tabs and buy computer memory while paying the light bill.

I hit the seroquel..I have an "as and when" supply. I'm clear on my limit and I take up to that limit. I think it's probably most helpful at night as it helps me sleep and cuts the cycle of hypomania>no sleep>escalating hypomania

for very mild hypomania/anxiety I use inderal (propranolol)..it's given to people that have to make public speeches, it just turns anxiety don one notcha and can be taken when I am out at business

I exercise, either on my MTB or running or even just walking. I try to be outside as much as possible.

make sure you are cutting out the caffeine even chocolate has a lot of it so diet is important. And if you can get about 30 min of mild exercise over all health can help alot . Sleep is really import to be productive with your studying.

Being on disability has helped me a lot. I lead a much quieter life now and it's easier to keep the mania to a lower level. If I start having sleep problems I take a Klonopin.

I try to remind myself about my past hospitalizations and the financial damage that was done so that I won't get off my meds.

warm milk (&honey) & lavender aromatherapy, make your bedroom for sleeping (ie don't read in bed), set a time for sleep, every night as a routine, even if it doesn't work at first, and if unable to sleep after ten minutes, sit up, go into another room, with low lights, and read or something, then in 1/2 hr try again. i find a useful meditation is to repeat the words relax about 5 times then the word sleep 5 times, i have done this so long it is a surefire thing, though may take some getting used to. you must concentrate fully on the words, on your outbreath, and concentraqte beyond the mindchatter. oh yes, and of course the most important thing... see a doctor, even if it a general one until your pdoc returns.

I think this topic is brilliant.

Has anyone discovered a way to identify the mania "before it is too late"?

I am recently diagnosed, and finding myself learning things the very hard way... I only discover that I am in a manic state when things get VERY bad - ie, delusions, not sleeping, hallucinations... the beginning and middle of mania are very pleasant states for me... and i am often surprised by the "negative" symptoms which identify to me that 1) I need to sleep 2) I need to take my Seroquel to get me to sleep 3) I need to take a day or two to rest and re-ground myself.

How do other people identify their mania symptoms early in the cycle?

Before I knew what Bi-Polar was I would drink heavily during the manic periods. People always said what a happy drunk I was. They meant it in a good way, especially when I would buy everyone drinks. I guess I was self medicating without realising it. The bars also loved me because I spent a lot of money! Now I'm older and can't drink and it's really not a good idea to do anyway.

There is a really cool Dollar Store where I live. When the compulsive shopping part kicks in I go there with a $20 bill and go nuts. It curbs my spending appetite and I get a couple of bags filled with neat stuff that I could use anyway, and I'm only out twenty bucks!

I am on Geodon as an antipsychotc. I also take 80mg prn if I feel like I am getting manic or having a mixed episode. It really helps and calms me right down so I can sleep and relax. Nothing worse than the agitation of a mixed episode.