Hey, can somebody tell me if this is full blown mania?

Question

Ok, I have been having manic episodes for many years now but due to my poor memory i have forgotten except the one i had from february to april this year.

Here is what happened. I was always irritated, very angry at my parents and sister, believed that my sister was out to get everyone in my family and i kept think she is going to slip poison in my food.

At the same time I was really eupohoric, in a scary sense because i started zoning out in eupohoric feelings sitting there smiling, looking weird. I also had ALOT of s*x with my girlfriend till March, and then i got bored of her and dumped her(im sorry, sounds really mean)

I was always distracted, day dreaming of possibilities, not able to concentrate AT ALL.

I started having really delusion beliefs like possibly we are all connected to a computer or perhaps im the only one alive and observing reality. Or that i should be given the ability to travel the universe till i want to die.

I had super rapid speech, like I had to get everything out RIGHT AWAY. I had the INCREDIBLE urge to spend money. I spent all my lifes savings, which wasn't much, but if I had more money, there would have been a lot of things I would have bought.

I would jump out of my bed with like ideas, and I had all these plans to make mad money and kept telling myself just to wait till the last day of finals and to become RICH. AND oh boy i got crazy on the highway, since my school was 80 miles away i would speed at like 90 mph cutting people REALLY close to me just to p**s them off and laugh and feel good about my mad driving skills.

I thought this girl, who i liked was talking about me on her myspace page. I thought this for a good 3 weeks, whenever she put up her status and stuff. Thing is.... that confused me because she was talking about me and she was interested in me, but she was talking about me in May and i was thinking she was talking about me in March.

I thought i was the **** like I had this perfect plan for everything, and that all these people do it wrong, I thought I had some hidden technique that would guarantee me success where people have fallen, weather it was about making money, picking up girls, setting up the computer, school, mostly everything.

Also it felt i was enjoying life, the friends, the girls, my grade, everything was going great, and i was also able to just ignore my family. In school i was really overconfident that i would get a 4.0 GPA, but it was hard to concentrate. In the end I ended up getting a 3.93 GPA, but now I realize that those classes were soo easy, no wonder I aced them, it wasn't my mad learning skills, im not a genius.

I started smoking cigarettes a lot more, but then again i am in a depression right now and smoking even more.

I lost my car in May and that is when I got dumped into a major depressive episode with a few manic symptoms, like anger and paranoia.

Now I don't have this feelings of a super inflated self esteem, more like i dont feel like doing anything, hard to think or plan, better i lay around and watch tv, i dont think im the **** anymore, and i see flaws in these plans i made when I was manic.

Is this

Answer 1

PARANOID ABOUT EVERY THANG

Answer 2

You tick all the boxes...

Answer 3

You've demonstrated a few telling traits:

1) Paranoia.  This isn't always present in manic episodes, but it's not uncommon.

2) Delusions of Grandeur.  THIS is common.  Those experiencing a manic episode believe they have the answer to everything, that they have a special destiny, that they have a divine right to things.

3) Manic Spending.  This is not often mentioned, but it is one of the most telling signs of a manic episode.  The sufferer's need to spend is absolutely unquenchable.   They can run up thousands of dollars in debt and simply not care about the consequences.

4) High Libido.  Those suffering mania simply cannot be satiated sexually.  Their libido begins to take over their life, to the point where they will dispose of current relationships in order to find someone who will match their sexual stamina.

5) Sense of Perfection.  The belief that one's life is absolutely perfect ... could not be better.  Sufferers don't believe they make any mistakes, ever.  In their eyes, they have no flaws and they should be admired for being the magnificent specimen they are.

6) Vices.  Usually, sufferers take up new vices (such as smoking, drinking and/or gambling), or return to old ones.

These are 6 signs of Manic behaviour.  

I am not a professional Psychiatrist, so my "diagnosis" should not be given any where NEAR the credit of a qualified professional.  I have studied BiPolar Disorder, its different degrees, and the medications that can be used to treat it.  As I say, take this with a grain of salt ... I am NOT a trained professional.

From what I have studied of BiPolar Disorder, you have what appears to be a text book case of "BiPolar 1", formerly called "Manic-Depression".  Its brother "BiPolar 2" is less severe, and usually does not include quite this many symptoms.  

The only thing that has me stumped is the "episodes" of sitting down, feeling euphoric, "zoning out" as you call it.  The only ailment this seems to match is Scizophrenia.  But everyone is different, and every case of BiPolar Disorder is unique.  Just because one of your symptoms is not "text book" or "classic", does not mean that it doesn't fall within the initial problem, or that you have a secondary illness.

From my studies, I can think of 3 possible medications: Lithium, Risperdal, or Zyprexa.  They're all mood stabilizers and can, if prescribed correctly, do wonders for BiPolar Disorder.

Again, I am NOT a Psychiatrist.  I am NOT a trained Medical Doctor.  I am someone who has studied this field extensively.  My advice is no replacement for the qualifications and experience of a trained professional psychiatrist or medical doctor, whom I believe you should seek immediately.

One piece of advice.  When you see a doctor, I wouldn't start with "I've had manic episodes for years ...".  I would simply describe the symptoms as accurately and passionately as you've described them here.  He or She should not be swayed by opinions, but should form their own professional diagnosis, and - if necessary - treatment.

Best wishes.