Im still trying to fully understand bipolar, so I may not sound too clear here. But I find when I'm up and happy go lucky Tracy I am extroverted and I get along well with others. When the depression and lows hit me I can't be bothered to talk to anyone unless I have too.

Do you feel like it carries over to ds as well? Or is the introversion, disconnection from others, or whatever, only happen in RL? I find that sometimes here on ds, I want to reach out and converse w/people, but feel a bit too tired to do so. (tracy...)

Wow I am the exact same way. Mania will hit and I am making friends with the homeless, teenagers, dogs, and probably even wolverines if they lived in the area and would come close enough. Otherwise I am a total introvert. I say "Hi" to every stranger I walk by but rarely engage in a conversation with randoms. Great point that you brought up. Seems to be the norm with those of us who are BP. I do feel like it does come up on message boards as well. New to DS for sure, but I am feeling a little more on the M-side than the D-side and have been posting some random-arse stuff...lol.

-JW

Being a little on the M-side isn't a bad thing, i guess. A little...,, lol.

lol...lina. I am not complaining.

Take care..

-JOW

i don't know that bp plays any role in my "verting". i'm an introvert. i'll have to think about that one...

I'm more of an introvert. But when I get a bit silly or hypomanic I will talk to random strangers.

I was an introvert all my life. When I turned 40 I made a concious effort to be an extrovert. Now I am out of control.
I don't think BP has played any role in it.

For me bp doesn't really play a role. I am an introvert. I get the angry/irritable kind of mania. Even then I "recharge" by being alone - a sure sign of an introvert.

It's interesting, dobie, that you were able to consciously decide to be an extrovert. It would suggest that it's learnable... though like morgainev, i recharge when i'm alone.

Thanks for yr comments... gives me something to think about, for sure.

When I turned 40 I realized that when people looked at me they saw an adult, not the scared child that I was. So I decided to act like an adult, to fake it! After a while of faking it, it became natural.

Kind of like smiling. The more i smile, the happier i feel. But i forget this a lot of the time, and have to remind myself....
So i try to smile a lot here ... :-))) and laugh , lol, LMFAO..., etc.

Exactly as you put it. Extremely extrovert when hypomanic (so much that a situation could get completely out of control) , totally introvert at other times, especially when low.

Hallam, do you find you're sometimes both in the same day? I get, like, outgoing for a while, and at another time the same day, i'm drawing inward... guess it corresponds to moods, all right, for me....

Same for me. I used to be the life of the party...the "go out and meet new people" person...I used to have the attitude of you only live once, so have fun.

Now I scarcely leave my house (except for doc appointments), I don't talk to any of my friends really, and I'm too paranoid to go out and party (ie: afraid it's mania and I'll end up doing something really stupid and regret it)