really need some advice if you have any

[butterflydust]

i've gotten very good at not SIing when i'm sad (it's been years at this point). i have a bigger problem right now.

i'm bipolar, and when i'm hypomanic or manic, i get these incredible urges to do something impulsive. but shopping sprees don't help me- it has to be something impulsive and destructive to me. most of the really awful things i have done to myself have been in this mood. it just feels like i have to do something, anything, dramatic to get that horrible vibrating feeling out of me.

and i've been good at not acting on these urges, but it just feels like they've been getting worse. i don't know what to do. i have tried all of the classic SI coping skills (which work when i'm depressed), but nothing feels extreme enough to satisfy this need.

has anyone felt like this, and does any one have anything that has worked for you? all advice is welcome.

[butterflydust]

thank you. it's nice to know i'm not alone.

[brushfire]

When I'm hypomanic or manic, I get these insane urges to do something amazing too... the impulsivity's the worst, it's gotten me into bad situations, lost me a lot of money, came close to "doing it" with someone I had never met several times.

And I know what you mean, it's like a need that can't be satiated.

Painting? It's visual, and if you do it with your hands like I did you get a tactile experience of gucky stuff. Make it red if you need to. Then get paper or canvas and guck all over it.

[Sticky Wicket]

Can't help you with satisfying any impulses but to remove root cause there is an exercise used by the military that helps them not only cope with multiple issues, urges etc but resolve them. There is an article about it here:

Military praises 'fantastic' new post-traumatic stress therapy
http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=319737#ixzz1SfHUSL8p

The exercise isn't limited to PTSD

The main site for military is patriotoutreach.com

Someone also put the exercise on YouTube

I quit smoking using this years ago and there were no withdrawals - poof like magic

[elizabethpoe31]

Sometimes i exercise till it hurts and i'm exhausted

This is definitely my go-to when I feel all pent-up like that. Running in particular until i cant breathe. Haven't found anything else that helps unfortunately. I'd like to have options to deal with that kind of state when the weather is crappy/it's late at night/don't have access to somewhere to work out...

[Lofticries]

Shopping sprees are definitely destructive to get that real satisfaction while doing it you have to spend all your money and run up any store card you have! That's how it goes with me. That's more when I'm hypomanic.

I don't ever really SI when I'm manic, not physically. I'm not a huge self harmer so my advice is a bit crappy.

What meds are you on?

Maybe you should be on a higher dose/additional meds if you're still having manic episodes.

[treasure]

i don't know that much about mania, so this might not work but it's an idea. could you make a list of things that are impulsive/crazy/maybe a little destructive but that you are allowed to do, and pick something off the list? i've had some urges before to do with smashing stuff, and occasionally did so (very impulsively) but a few months ago i had a cracked mug that i put aside and gave myself permission to smash when i felt like i needed to. maybe have a whole range of hair dye of different colours, move furniture around, have some mini building project that requires you to hammer nails and saw wood?