What Cashmere said. Mania can also be characterized by sleeping little and sometimes getting a WHOLE LOT done. Like, staying up all night to clean your house, or something.

And going to sleep brings my emotional state back to baseline.

Not a professional, but this inclines me to say no, you are not bipolar.

Fair warning: there's a new Sarah McLachlan ad out. Snuck up on me last night.

Oh, lordy. Lemme stock up on tissues.

I'm actually the reverse with seasonal affective. I do better with cooler temps and overcast days actually give me a sense of security and satisfaction. I don't dislike sunny days and in fact, like them a great deal, but the heat just saps the life right out of me. A hothouse flower I ain't.

I do better with cooler temps and overcast days actually give me a sense of security and satisfaction. I don't dislike sunny days and in fact, like them a great deal, but the heat just saps the life right out of me.

Heh - I can see why you want to move to Seattle.

You know, you say that, but I've always joked that I'm sort of bipolar and last night I was wondering whether there's actually something wrong with me.

Sorry, I should have clarified - that wasn't a joke. I have bipolar disorder (type II). As Cashmere says, it's a milder form of the condition (never feels very mild, of course...!)

P-C, if it's interfering with your life, or your ability to enjoy your life, talk to someone.

I would agree with this. My symptoms used to distress me (and others) a whole lot, so I got help for them. These days I'm at a sort of 'maintenance' level, where they don't worry me so much because things don't get so extreme. I had to do a lot of work to get here, though. I'm still crazy, but I have many coping strategies these days. Including a wonderful Girl who makes phone calls for me, when I am having meltdowns of various sorts. Even if she has to make those phone calls from Israel.

P-C, do you know things that help? For example, I know being around people can make me crazy, so I try not to be, if I start getting stressed. Some people find it helpful to make sure they get enough daylight, as Fred Pete says (I have a daylight lamp by my bed which helps with that). Other people find that eating better makes a difference.

Talking of my wonderful Girl, she just broke a massive family taboo and told her grandmother that she's a dirty lesbian*. She has been banned from doing this since she told her parents, many years ago, but she decided she wants her grandma at our wedding. Turns out her grandma already knew, and is being lovely about it. It's as sweet as when my mother blurted it out to my grandmother, and the next day the two of us were invited to my grandmother's for Sunday lunch.

*OK, probably she used less scary words.

Mania can also be characterized by sleeping little and sometimes getting a WHOLE LOT done. Like, staying up all night to clean your house, or something.

Or baking. Not that I've ever done that. Ummm....

Aw. Yay for grandmothers.

I've begun to wonder if any sort of behavior that leans toward either side of staid is considered part of a syndrome. Sure, the extremes are worrisome and anything that interferes with normal functioning should be dealt with, but the mild ones seem to be the natural effects of a passionate life.

I sometimes wonder if drug companies sit around coming up with things to sell drugs for. "Hm, knobby toes, do we have anything that we can sell to treat knobby toes?"

I haven't noticed the seasonal affective this year yet. I usually get it pretty badly, which is a shame because I love Autumn. Maybe it's because we hardly had any sun this summer. If so, that's fine with me.

Okay, no more buffista children are allowed to fracture anything. (Seriously, I hope Abby's okay and feeling better.)

Aw, Seska, yay for grandmas who are more with it than we give them credit for!

And because it made me happy and I hope it makes my Bitches struggling with the moods a little happy, some Muppet Therapy.

The Ode to joy

Habañera