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Yes, there actually comes a time when you can be too happy. This time comes when you are mentally ill and part of the illness is being far too happy. It sounds weird, but it’s totally true and a part of bipolar that isn’t well known.
It seems strange that a sign that you’re ill can be that you’re too happy. It might even seem strange to the sick person. Being happy is supposed to be a good thing. You’re supposed to be happy when things are going well and you have no cares and all that. But sometimes too much happiness is all down to brain chemistry and can lead to bigger problems if not taken care of.
There have been a few episodes where I’ve suffered from being entirely too happy. The first time I remember it happening, I hadn’t be diagnosed and I thought that this pure bliss was just a part of life and this was how things would always be and this was what I was supposed to feel like all of the time and so on, so forth. When I came down from the high, it occurred to me that normal people probably don’t experience those kinds of extremes.
Recently I had been having some symptoms of hypomania (a milder form of mania that people suffering with bipolar II usually get), and then I was driving back to Williamsburg and listening to CD in my car when the feelings of absolute joy and ecstasy started overtaking me. It got to the point where the interior of my car was so filled with delirious happiness that there wasn’t much room left for oxygen.
While being incredibly happy might not seem like much of a problem, the fact is that this form of hypomania can lead to bigger problems. When you feel this happy and have not a care in the world, reality can take a back seat. During hypomanic episodes people have been known to spend money excessively, experience hypersexuality and have unsafe sex, there are also other forms of danger and thrill seeking that appeal to people in this inflated state of mind. Having a grandiose view of yourself leads you to think that you can’t get hurt, when the truth is that you’re just as mortal as you ever were.
Personal relationships can also suffer. Part of hypomania is racing thoughts, talking too fast, and being generally flighty. Even the most rational and reliable people can suffer from major personality changes during an episode. But the most dangerous thing about bipolar episodes is that they don’t really get better on their own. They just get worse.
Behavior will become more extreme and more dangerous without treatment. Sometimes an episode will run its course and it will be over with. Other times a person experiencing a hypomanic episode will come down only to plunge into a depression. No matter what happens, episodes need to be carefully monitored so a small problem doesn’t turn into a big problem. Because big problems, when you have a mental illness, can be matters life and death.
For someone with a mental illness, constant behavior reflection is needed. Some people accuse the mentally ill of being self-obsessed, but the truth is that if you’re not paying attention to your moods and looking for potential problems, a minor issue can turn into a major one sometimes over night. Looking out for yourself is key when you’re bipolar. Other people might not notice your behavior changes until it’s entirely too late. You have to rely on yourself to know what is normal for you, what isn’t, and what is a sign of an oncoming episode.
Sometimes being too happy can be a bad thing. Everyone experiences all kinds of emotions in their lives, but when your brain chemistry isn’t wired correctly, simply being happy can turn into a real problem. As strange as it might seem, happiness is not always a sign of health and well being.
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