Dec 21 2008
Being Bipolar: Intentionally trying to induce mania is bad
It has come to my attention that some people with bipolar disorder try to “tweak” their medications in an attempt to induce a manic episode. Apparently, they enjoy being in this state but I assume they are not aware of or concerned with the consequences of tampering with the dose of their medication.
Firstly, altering the dosage of your medication can bring on a manic episode. It can also bring on a major depressive episode. If you change up your dosage, you don’t know which one you will end up with. Do you really want to risk ending up in a depressive episode? If you are already in a depressive episode and you don’t take your medication as described, it will likely only worsen the depression and most certainly won’t help you to recover.
Secondly, manic episodes aren’t all fun and games. Destructive behavior goes hand in hand with being manic and once you begin down a destructive path, you will likely end up with a day or two of being manic followed by a few weeks of being depressed because of your actions. Remember the old saying, “What goes up must come down”? This is true of manic episodes and the ensuing depression can be devastating.
If you want to effectively treat bipolar disorder, you cannot tamper with your medications. Always take them as directed and never intentionally try to induce mania. You will end up with more troubles than you bargained for.
Good information
I have heard this a lot especially from creative people. They like the manic stage because they turn out such creative ideas but thanks for reminding us that what comes up must come down and for people with bipolar it can be dangerous.
alicia
Does anyone know the right combination to force a manic episode ? I’ve been thinking about trying lithium with other things.
Reread the article and ask me again.
P.S. The answer would be: I advocate wellness. There is no way I would tell you how to purposely induce an episode. Remember, what goes up must come down, and with bipolar disorder the crash can be debilitating. Inducing mania is no better than trying to induce depression. Either way, you’re going to end up depressed.