Can you be manic and not realise it? *Update of what really happened*

[Ballerina123]

I have recently been discharged from hospital following a psychotic episode.

I received a discharge letter from the hospital saying that my reason for admission was a manic state.
Even without much memory about the start of the admission Im unsure as to weather I was ‘manic’.

Is it possible for someone to be manic and not realise it?

At the start of the admission (first 2 weeks or so) I was very withdrawn and stayed in my room too scared to go into communal areas. I did have some racing thoughts, some really heavy anxiety that made me feel like I was dying and feelings of inward rage that made me feel like I wanted to hurt other people. Usually when my mood is high I am extremely happy but during those first 2 weeks I felt more scared, agitated and anxious than happy.

even in hindsight Im not sure I was manic. But then again I'm not that educated on different types of mania.

I was under the impression that I was psychotic with no mood episode but the letter says different.

can I get some thoughts on this please because it is a while till I see my psych and I feel really confused.


thanks

[FranticMind]

i dont know if this is helpful, but my friend had a manic episode recently and she couldnt tell she was manic, thats normally the case anyway, when you are really ill it can be hard to sometimes see that you are ill and it may be up to professionals or family to notice a change in behaviour.

or they could have made a wrong assessment.

[[Luna]]

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

[random.swirls]

Yeah it's quite common to be manic and not realise it.

In addition mania isn't always 'happy' as you can have dysphoric mania which is sometimes known as a mixed episode

[Ballerina123]

Thanks you for your input guys.

Fran - thank was a helpful story.

Emma - can you see now that you were unwell? I'm struggling to see that I was unwell.

Cam - do you know the criteria for dysphoric mania?


I just saw the HTT and they said they are going to look back in my notes and try to clarify my reason for admission which is going to be help I feel.

[[Luna]]

In all honesty no, I thought I was perfectly well at the time and when I look back I still think I was talking normally and acting normally but when I listen to other peoples account I can understand that I was probably unwell and lacking insight.

I hope the HTT give you some answers lovely. x

[findingmyself]

Depends on the person and the individual. Yes what your all are saying might be right. Im just saying sometimes its so annoying therapist say your acting one way when really any body would be acting that way if they were in your shoes. Therapist go to extremes sometimes say your out of control or your not thinking clearly if you do the smallest thing like raise your voice or get mad and so on. Its really stupid. My best advice is people that includes therapist can think what ever they want and you can think what ever you want. So if you know for a fact very strongly that you where not acting the way they said you where then just go with that you know the truth rather they want to believe you or not.

Like I remeber my therapsit would tell me all the time im not stable when I am its so annoying I could be sitting nicely in her therapy office talking normally not throwing any thing nothing just siting and talking and she still would say im unstable. Again she can think what ever she wants to think but I kept telling her Im not to stop saying im not stable when I am. Also I remeber one time also too I was in therapy with her again jsut sitting and talking and thent he conversation changed to something else I got mad and started cussing and she said oh there you go unstable. That was really frustrating and annoying its like geeezz I cant do naything with out being called not stable its like just bec I started cusing doesnt mean im not stable.

[[Luna]]

Being in hospital is slightly different to seeing a therapist though. The hospital staff tend to observe you more over a longer period of time than a session with one therapist. There is also the case of insight, some illnesses cause you to lose insight into your own mental state so despite you feeling you are perfectly well and stable, other people that know you well will see differences in your behaviour and thought processes.

I appreciate what you're saying though, they would have assessed Kate's state of mind completely wrong x

[findingmyself]

Of course your friends and family know when your acting a little strange or diffrent. But that doesnt mean your not stable just because your acting a little strange or diffrent it could be stress or something else.

Well of course if they have a good reason behind saying you were manic or not stable like you were not speaking clearly then yeah believe them but something as stupid as you started cussing so your not stable then dont believe them all the time. You know your self better than any one else.

[[Luna]]

I'm more referring to Kate's situation. It's very unlikely they've admitted her to hospital because she's cussing. Anyway, will stop hijacking this thread x

[Pi.R^2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ballerina123

I received a discharge letter from the hospital saying that my reason for admission was a manic state.
Even without much memory about the start of the admission Im unsure as to weather I was ‘manic’.

How very odd. I just checked the symptoms of mania as I am no expert but in my personal opinion you weren't manic, and that's certainly not why I took you to A and E. And these are the same people who also claimed you were admitted for an overdose? Which definitely wasn't the case. Bizarre.

[Ballerina123]

Lauri - I do understand what your saying but I'm not sure it's relevant to my situation.

Emma - thanks that's helpful. When people talk of how I was it does not sound like me so I can accept I had no insight. Hope fully the HTT can clarify.

Jenna - thanks. Your observatipn is helpful. They still have on my records that I ODed which is annoying.

[findingmyself]

I know that. Im just saying know the diffrence dont always believe every thing a therapist says lots of people get into that trap believe every word there therapsit says like there God when there not. Speak up have a voice dont ever let any therapist walk all over you. This is just to help you that is all Im doing is helping you giving my advice so your aware. Not saying you werent manic or not. This is just advice thats it.

[Ballerina123]

I spoke to my team about this and it turns out, which I agree with, that I was admitted and placed on a section 2 because I was psychotic.
Then a couple of weeks in I had a med change and my mood went really high, which I mildly remember (I mostly remember running in the corridor for hours and not being able to stop like I had super powers). My section 2 was due to end a week later but the hospital staff decided that I was too "high" for discharge and so placed me on a section 3 because I was "manic".

So technically I was admitted for paranoid psychosis but I was kept in because I turned manic.
So it makes a lot more sense now.

Thanks for your support guys x

[findingmyself]

Glad your doing bettter