DMC
01-31-2016, 11:24 PM
In my own writing on this topic I have tried to identify how manic people think about making decisions, since the decisions they make can often be devastating. As I indicated in other threads, manic individuals take excessive risk in spending, investing, sexual activity, driving behavior, social interactions, often expressing bizarre and offensive opinions in their posting and thread starting, engaging in aggressive and violent behavior toward others even online, or making other "risky" decisions. What accounts for this? Obviously, the primary cause is the biological component of bipolar disorder which is why these posters need to be on a mood stabilizer (such as lithium or an anti-convulsant; or, in some cases, an anti-psychotic medication). However, there is an internal "logic" to manic thinking and this is what I want to describe here.
Manic individuals believe that they can predict the future accurately, and that it will be filled with boundless rewards for them. Since they believe that they have the genius that others lack, they easily dismiss the opinions of others who are sometimes viewed as inferior people who are trying to block the endless opportunities that are available. Manic individuals believe that whatever they attain will be extremely enjoyable, that they will have incredible pleasure from what they achieve, so they are willing to take the risks to pursue those gains. In short, manic individuals are risk lovers. They believe that taking risks is exciting, a sign of their special abilities and the means of greater fulfillment. Since they believe that they have these special abilities they become agitated when others try to dissuade them and they view medication as dampening their creativity and incredible genius. Each positive experience magnifies the desire for more positives as they "ascend" higher into a manic episode.
Try to spot the manic posters on this forum. It's really not difficult to do. Just look for wild predictions and multiple new threads being started on a daily basis; threads that don't seem to be connected in thought or purpose. The underlying cause to these outbursts is the manic disorder, and it's not something that can be hidden with an alternative user name. The same poster who does this as an anonymous user will do in in their personal lives, because it's so taxing on mental energy that a poser could not keep it up for long. Once you've identified them, offer guidance like lithium suggestions or point them in the direction of help. Don't assume for a minute these people are pretending. Their material might be spotty and their thought process broken, but it's who they are in real, real life.
Plus they are either fans of the shittiest team in the league, which is bad enough, or they are pretending to be, which is even worse.
Manic individuals believe that they can predict the future accurately, and that it will be filled with boundless rewards for them. Since they believe that they have the genius that others lack, they easily dismiss the opinions of others who are sometimes viewed as inferior people who are trying to block the endless opportunities that are available. Manic individuals believe that whatever they attain will be extremely enjoyable, that they will have incredible pleasure from what they achieve, so they are willing to take the risks to pursue those gains. In short, manic individuals are risk lovers. They believe that taking risks is exciting, a sign of their special abilities and the means of greater fulfillment. Since they believe that they have these special abilities they become agitated when others try to dissuade them and they view medication as dampening their creativity and incredible genius. Each positive experience magnifies the desire for more positives as they "ascend" higher into a manic episode.
Try to spot the manic posters on this forum. It's really not difficult to do. Just look for wild predictions and multiple new threads being started on a daily basis; threads that don't seem to be connected in thought or purpose. The underlying cause to these outbursts is the manic disorder, and it's not something that can be hidden with an alternative user name. The same poster who does this as an anonymous user will do in in their personal lives, because it's so taxing on mental energy that a poser could not keep it up for long. Once you've identified them, offer guidance like lithium suggestions or point them in the direction of help. Don't assume for a minute these people are pretending. Their material might be spotty and their thought process broken, but it's who they are in real, real life.
Plus they are either fans of the shittiest team in the league, which is bad enough, or they are pretending to be, which is even worse.