Can staying awake beat depression?

Re:Can staying awake beat depression? by InclinedPlane on Tuesday January 23, 2018 @07:00PM (#16219103)

In someone with bipolar (I or II) sleep deprivation can indeed trigger a manic or hypomanic state. It will definitely raise your energy level but it may or may not make you happier. Additionally, there are tons of risks involved with going into those states intentionally. Mania ("full-blown bipolar") is particularly troublesome. Hypomanic states are much less extreme and are not necessarily a "problematic" part of ordinary life, if properly managed. However, both come along with things like increased risk taking and hypersexuality that can do things like screw up your finances and budgeting, destroy your relationships, or put you at greater risk of STDs or unintended pregnancies. On top of that there's a risk of developing a psychotic break, especially in conjunction with stress, which will typically result in hospitalization and being placed on psychiatric hold (if you're lucky).

And, as you note, periods of hypomania aren't long-term sustainable. Ultimately you need to learn how to cope with all of your moods and states.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Can staying awake beat depression? by IntronExon on Tuesday January 23, 2018 @07:31PM (#16219292)

I used to work with a brilliant women who really struggled with her manic episodes. She ended up going off her meds and on a weeklong manic state, ending with her walking straight through a plate glass window. She was window shopping and saw a coat she really liked, and she felt so powerful and was so nearly psychotic that she just walked straight through the window.

Cuts all over, dozens of stitches, yet amazingly no permanent injuries. She had to spend a couple of months in inpatient care to stabilize.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Can staying awake beat depression? by jiggunjer on Tuesday January 23, 2018 @09:29PM (#16219852)

You make mania sound like "student holiday".

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Can staying awake beat depression? by InclinedPlane on Wednesday January 24, 2018 @12:51AM (#16220635)

That's the thing, they can easily fit into the normal range of human behavior, even in bipolar I. Popculture puts out this image that bipolar people are bonkers crazy and that manic/hypomanic episodes are extremely noticeable, dramatic, and also obviously destructive. The reality is that, especially with bipolar II, things can be much more nuanced and subtle. Hypomania can manifest as being really interested in something, working on projects, and just being generally productive, maybe while staying up late a few nights in a row, or even just one. It can be as simple as progressing through a challenging but fun video game. And the risk taking and impulsiveness aspects might seem perfectly normal as well. It might just mean that you buy that thing on amazon that you've been putting off for a few months because you didn't really need it. That can make it hard for people to see their behavior as in any way "abnormal".

However, it's still incredibly important to understand whether or not you have these behavioral changes because they can often have a negative impact on your life if you don't understand them and develop coping skills for them. Your behavioral controls might be calibrated to who you are day to day rather than who you are when you're hypomanic. And that can lead to a lot of problems, spending too much money, taking irrational risks, etc. Being able to step back and realize that your feelings and impressions are being filtered by basically a mood altering state (just as you'd realize that you act differently when drunk and need to compensate for that) will help you navigate those behaviors better and be able to retain your ability to act rationally and in your own future best interests.

[ Parent | on HN ]