I've known a lot of people that have been experiencing a manic episode and not had any insight.
My friend S was suffering from a manic episode a few months ago and I went to see her in hospital. Her thoughts and behaviour were erratic, her speech had sped up and she was very easily distracted, she was delusional but she thought she was completely normal and that the staff were overreacting. She mentioned that she was suicidal and that she would be dead soon so she wasn't feeling particularly elated but was still experiencing mania (if that makes sense).
I remember my last hospital admission, I thought I was talking complete sense. I remember being so frustrated because I was trying to communicate with the staff and my partner/family and their eyes would glaze over or they would turn away and not listen. I couldn't understand why I was in hospital and what I had done wrong. It wasn't until later that I was told that nothing I was saying was making any sense whatsoever.
They told me I was delusional and incoherent, one of the health care assistants told me he had never seen me that bad. It was scary and confusing to think that I was that unwell and hadn't even realised it.
Thinking of you xx
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