Used to be that Bipolar was referred to as Manic Depressive. That phrase manic-depressive use to scare the shit out of me. I thought it meant crazy and I know I am not crazy by any means. I have spent weeks feeling like I am on top of the world. Then comes the deep depression and the cycle begins. The length of each person’s cycle is different.

What the depression cycle is like: We can do no wrong. We think we can do anything at this point and our self-esteem soars out of control and it’s hard to sit still. We talk more and are defiantly more distracted. We have racing thoughts; and our sleep is disturbed. This all could lead to reckless behavior, spending sprees, cheating, reckless driving and substance abuse. A manic episode could be the cause of such behavior. Three or more of these symptoms could be a sign of a manic episode.

During such an episode I feel charged and think I can do the impossible. Self-esteem soars out of control.

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