Bipolar Disorder Support Group
Bipolar disorder is not just a single disorder, but a category of mood disorders marked by periods of abnormally high energy and euphoria, often accompanied by bouts of clinical depression. This is the place to talk about your experience with bipolar disorder, learn from others' experiences, and find support.
I am visiting here to ask a question, I hope you do not mind. Has anyone ever experienced racism as a sign of mania? I mean in a person who would never be a racist otherwise. It included grandiose statements about his German ancestry (he did not have German ancestors), belief in a wide spread Jewish conspiracy, and a fascination with Nazi regalia, collecting and displaying and so forth. It lasted about two months, building up to greater mania, but stopped before becoming psychotic. I just wondered how common this symptom is. I should also say that as the mania increased he became intolerant of anyone who did not agree with his views. Even to say something like , I am not really sure on that would make him furious.
I would like your thoughts and may ask another question later if nobody objects.
I would like your thoughts and may ask another question later if nobody objects.
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theatre and I are there already. I'm having a very berry tea with crackers, cheese and cherry tomatoes and she's having a joint with some beer and we're both on really comfy recliners on thick pile carpet. we need some help with the decor if anyone is around??
I don't know about the collecting bit, but personally I think that the rage that comes with racism makes sense with manic agression.
Makes total sense- although I know some would say it's an excuse. But I think you have to look at how the person is when they're not manic- do they have antisemitism at all or racism or do they just go off when raging?
No idea how this racist manifestation speaks to his world view when not unwell?? Hmmm.
Was he terribly ashamed & shocked when came to earth from this episode? that would be telling, I suppose?
Hard to say?? Yes, paranoid delusions come in many forms as Zsa said.
Just curious.
And regards to #1, I would kindasortadefinitely call the behavior in question racism. (actually anti-semitism, to be persnickety about it)
I can't say what he thought about the incident, but the items were put away somewhere and I'm sure they were eventually thrown out. The people who cared about him never mentioned it again. I guess I should say he was not on medication and still believing he could stop these episodes if he tried hard. After failing to stop them I do believer he felt like a failure. And no, he was normally not a racist.
The comment that it did not reach the worst level of psychosis was my opinion based on observation. It never reached the truly terrified state during that episode.
Mania can bring out some really, really dark sides.
I've had mixed states where I feel all stabby-like. But I'm also rapidclycling so it fades quickly, usually.
It's so weird to think a mood could change your personality like that, and even your worldviews.
The failure-feelings actually fit in very well with scape-goating type of racism.
I once did a research paper on neo-nazis and the common theme was poor, white, damaged young guys (mostly) who felt impotent in life and blamed immigrants/jews/blacks whoever for all their problems. So maybe his feelings of failure came before the weird nazi phase.
BTW, I actually know someone who went like this- a friend of a friend. He thought he was going to be instantly rich and went it went awry he went gestapo. (unbalanced obviously as well)
""included grandiose statements about his German ancestry (he did not have German ancestors), """
This screams delusion. He HAS no German ancestors, yet he believed he did enough to the point of idealizing them.
""belief in a wide spread Jewish conspiracy,...""
Hello paranoia, long time no see. The belief in this isn't the paranoia part, the bigger indicator would be the level of ferocity of his fear of the 'conspiracy'.
"" and a fascination with Nazi regalia, collecting and displaying and so forth.""
Impulsive behavior with obsession thrown in.
"" It lasted about two months, building up to greater mania, but stopped before becoming psychotic. ""
Psychosis
Noun
S: (n) psychosis (any severe mental disorder in which contact with reality is lost or highly distorted) [From Princeton WordNet]
It sounds like there's psychosis in there to me. Mainly thinking he's German and also (as mentioned above) the level of fear about the conspiracy.
Just like Richard Pryor telling distasteful jokes about white people = comedy
Don Imus making a distasteful comment on his radio program = racism
Racism is subjective. What one person believe to be racism, might not be to another person.