Truly bipolar people in a manic phase can be quite charming, very energetic, but also tend to be promiscuous, a lot of bouncing around and typically not very honest about it. But, when they inevitably crash it can be major doom and gloom, end of the world thinking, can’t hardly drag themselves out of bed, little to no interest in a mate, friends or the outside world in general. Then, there are those who cycle rapidly with ups and downs coming in terms of days rather than months. Those are the really scary ones, more frequently female than male but both exist.
Then there are the ones stuck in the depressive half nine-tenths of the year with only rare manic or “normal” days.
I have a sibling like this, including episodes of voices in their head, usually telling them to ESAD. Late 60s, highly educated professional, second marriage and for over 40 years, it’s been a tossup as to which version of the person one would encounter on any given day.
Exhausting. The manic phase is dizzying and the depression is overwhelming. They also require a private space where, in the midst of a physically ordered home and professional life, they retreat into utter physical chaos, similar to a stereotypical teenager’s room. Their room at home, growing up, was painfully neat and clean. I always thought the *trash room* represented their true emotional landscape.
The first clues they have gone off the lithium are episodic and monumental rages. Depression is heralded by days of sleeping alternating with weepy self pity. Manic stage involves gambling, sex and flights of verbal fantasy. Medicated, they are sober, thoughtful, intelligent and droll.
They’ve become a raging liberal over the years.
Yeh, before dusting the guy I found out he had tried to kill himself 3 times then I happened to look in his medicine cabinet one day for an aspirin and saw a gigantic container of Lithium. It was full so I figured he had stopped taking it. At some point you have to ask yourself how upset would you be if you never saw this person again.