Impulsive decisions during mania
Hi,
So long story short I'm barely learning to be aware of my mania and all that goes with it. I thought previously I just had problems with sex, alcohol, and spending habits overall recklessness but now that I'm learning more about being bipolar through my doctor and myself, I'm learning that's not necessarily the case. Does anyone have any suggestions with impulse control when they were first starting to become aware or even now? The urges just feel unbearable at times. Can anyone relate to this?
I think it is important to start by getting the mania under control. Many people make impulsive decisions when they are manic and those decisions often have negative consequences.
It may take some time and hard work initially to get your moods stabilized. Medication compliance, excellent sleep hygiene, regular exercise and good diet habits combined with self care will give you the best chance at stability. Once you find that your moods are no longer swinging high, the impulses should dissipate.
I totally agree with sparklehorse that the main key will be to control your manic episodes as they are the main contributors to bipolar excessive behavior. Outside of manic periods, when I'm level, I still have issues with drinking and mild hypersexuality. I am trying to work on the drinking now, and I manage my hypersexuality by finding safe outlets for it. It's not so extreme that it interferes with my daily life, so for me the important part of managing it is to ensure I'm not getting wound up with unsafe people because of my libido.
