Recently,
I talked about an article in Current
Psychiatry that I found frustrating. This week, I want to highlight one I
thought was interesting and has some value to us as consumers. In the June 2007
issue of Current Psychiatry, Dr. David
L. Wagner suggested a new way to identify when hypomania might be present.
Hypomania
is a problem because, as you know, it's more subtle than full-on mania ... and harder
to detect. Most of us won't spring out of
nowhere with full-blown mania, so being able to identify the signs early can help
you get help before the symptoms take over your life.
Dr.
Wagner used the word "FLIGHTY" as a way to remember the signs:
F-Flights of ideas, talking before
you think
L-Lacking attention, distracted,
trouble reading a book, preoccupied with unimportant things
I-Insomnia, high energy with little
sleep
G-Grandiosity ... feeling more
important, smarter, or creative than others
H-Hyperactive, agitated, starting a
lot of projects and finishing few
T-Talkative, tongue-tied, pressured
speech
Y-Yearnings ... excessive involvement
in pleasurable or risky behavior
You might
find this helpful to note in your wellness tool kit as a way to help identify
when you're moving into hypomania. If you're showing these signs, you also need
to work on a plan of action to get assistance before full-blown mania hits. Mary
Ellen Copeland's WRAP Plan and an advance directive might be good tools to help you with that action plan.
What
other tips or tools do you have that could help you or a loved one "catch"
hypomania?
