MDAO Forum

Support for People with Mood Disorders => General Discussion => Topic started by: HSG on August 02, 2014, 09:57:21 pm

Title: high stress, lack of sleep, and hypomania...
Post by: HSG on August 02, 2014, 09:57:21 pm
Hi everyone,

Well, welcome to the new forum I guess ;)

I have just come off a very stressful week, I ended up not sleeping a lot due to multiple demands on my time, work- and home-related, which I think, combined with the stress, pushed me into a hypomanic mode.  I've been handling it more or less OK, have tried not to stress myself out about anything outside of my control. Its been wearing on me, I get busy with things and neglect sleep, which feeds the cycle.  Luckily its been a more productive version of hypomania, in that I have been getting stuff done, as opposed to other times when my hypomania would spin into disorganized chaos and / or angry unproductive hypomania.  But still, I'm very cautious and wary as I know how things can so easily spin out of control as they did the first time I experienced this.  I have actually been seeing someone at a mindfulness based cognitive therapy clinic, and parts of that discussion has helped, particularly with respect to just meditation and learning to calm my mind by daily practice of meditation - I can at least calm my mind down now when its racing around.

Anyhow, I don't have much specific to say outside of this is where I am at right now.  I have been needing to schedule an appointment with my family doctor so I may bring this up with her, as part of it is triggering physical symptoms / discomfort, and also to see if she thinks I need to see anyone.  But for now I've also resumed taking a bit of seroquel in the evenings as that had a good effect in calming me down (or at least getting me to sleep) when I had my previous episodes.

I hope that everyone else is more or less doing OK.  Please don't worry about me, I am pretty self-aware and know that I need to see someone about it, I have the MBCT clinic appointment next week and am going to get in to see my doctor too as soon as I can schedule something.

BEst wishes all,
HSG
Title: Re: high stress, lack of sleep, and hypomania...
Post by: paulm on August 02, 2014, 10:56:26 pm
Hello HSG. I'm glad that you found us.

 Prolonged lack of sleep always triggers some form of hypomania or worse with me. I always keep a bit of seroquel around for the times when I just can't get settled for several days in a row.

 It does sound like you are pretty aware. Good Luck with everything. Take Care. paul m
Title: Re: high stress, lack of sleep, and hypomania...
Post by: HSG on August 14, 2014, 03:15:58 pm
Thanks Paul - to follow up, I did indeed take a half a seroquel at the end of the week to knock myself out, and things got better after the immediate work-related stress issues passed, so everything turned out OK.
Title: Re: high stress, lack of sleep, and hypomania...
Post by: paulm on August 14, 2014, 10:51:21 pm
Hello HSG. Glad that you are feeling better now. Take Care. paul m