Jabber, EH, Anne, Poppie - Thank you for your thoughts. I appreciate them so much. You touch me so.

EH is right, Bipolar is a chemical imbalance and I have to keep remembering that when I get sick. Something sets off those delicate balances, whatever it may be, and I get sick again. I either go manic (like I did this time) or get depressed.

I'm extremely sensitive to excitement. It can push me into a manic episode in a snap.

Manic, to me, means a very "high" feeling. Talking fast. Racing thoughts (inspirational ideas during the day/horrible what if's about what could happen to my family at night). It could mean a shopping spree. It could mean a spree of any kind (cooking, cleaning, writing, anything creative) It also means not being able to sit still very long, not sleeping enough. It could be kind of fun for a short period of time. I can get get some things done.

and when it gets to the extreme, not sitting still at all, uncontrollable thoughts, racing thoughts (all to the extreme), jumbled thoughts, no sleep at all, no creative spree at all, frustration, headaches - migraines. That's when it gets "Scary" That's when it pushes me toward hospitalization. Where it requires professionals to level my meds under hospitalized care.

That's how it works for me.