Mania and Me: Examination of the Diagnostic Criteria

Upon examination of the diagnostic critera for mania, I find I don't fit the criteria.

First, here's the criteria:

• Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
• Decreased need for sleep (e.g., one feels rested after only 3 hours of sleep)
• More talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking
• Flight of ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing
• Attention is easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant items
• Increase in goal-directed activity (either socially, at work or school; or sexually) or psychomotor agitation
• Excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences (e.g., engaging in unrestrained buying sprees, sexual indiscretions, or foolish business investments)

Taken from psychcentral.com

We are talking about my first episode.

First off, did I have inflated self-esteem? No, I wouldn't say so. Grandiosity is a narcissistic view of superiority and I definitely did not have that. So not, I didn't have this symptom.

Decreased need for sleep? Yes, so yes on this one.

More talkative? I talked less, as I was putting together a puzzle in my mind. So no.

Flight of ideas/racing thoughts? Well I had a heavy flow of thought, not a fast one. My thoughts weren't actually quicker.

This is a problem I deal with constantly when dealing with people about this. No, I have never experienced racing thoughts. I don't know what that feels like. I keep telling them this, they keep telling me over and over again that my thoughts race.

This one is probably a yes, due to the fact that there was a heavy flow of thoughts.

Easily distracted? No, I'm just not listening to the person I am talking to ever. So no.

Increase in goal activity? No, I didn't do anything goal-oriented at all.

Excessive involvement in pleasurable activities? Nope.

This last one is where some people on the diagnosis team say yes! She overdrew her bank account!

Anyway.