Bi-polar or Manic Depression runs in my family. And yes, I’ve been blessed with this gem. His article was completely spot on. Just one little preceived screw up, slight, wrong look, wrong word choice, anything can start a downward spiral or even a manic one.
I’d just like to be able to sleep!
Well, fortunately, I don’t have it, but that doesn’t make it much better for me... :-) And I’m sure those “in the know” know what I mean.
>>>>slight, wrong look, wrong word choice>>>>>>
You just described my mother in law, God rest her soul. When I married my husband 52 years ago, I had never experienced a person like her in my life. She caused me much sadness and grief because I wanted to get along with her for my husbands sake. It wasn’t possible to get along with her for very long so I backed away and saw her as little as possible.
That's the sort of thing that really makes this hard to figure for me.
I have a relative who's manic, so I have intimate second-hand experience. At first, "the word" was that it was physical and chemical. Hence, the medications.
But what you've described isn't a physical stimulus or change. It's an external event, which you perceive as causing you to cycle down or up.
So which is it? Physical, or mental? Makes a huge difference. If physical, then there's little hope without drugs. If mental, then (to speak very broadly) therapy and personal responsibility.
It matters.
Sure I'm "preaching" to the choir here.