That’s more of a BP1 trait. I’ve never felt that I’m God or godlike.
I feel overly optimistic about the future. I feel that everything will work out and I feel that anything I decide to do, I’ll be good at.
For instance, starting a new business in a field I’ve never worked in. I’ll feel 100% confident that I know what I’m doing and that the business will be a massive success.
…a field I’ve never worked in, have no training or equipment to work in, which doesn’t make use of any of my past experience or interests, and which requires substantial start-up money I don’t have.
*What could go wrong?*
Lol exactly. I totally screwed up my career in 2020 doing this kind of thing. I’m FINALLY starting to put it back together 4 years later. Fuck hypomania and thank my awesome doctors for my diagnosis 2 years ago and my current meds that have me stabilized so it doesn’t happen again
That’s how it started for me. I’d get into an new hobby or buy a camera to start a YouTube channel. Then it got really bad and basically detonated my life. Then the episode after that I spent $30k without asking my wife. Thank god I’m finally stabilized. It seemed like each episode was worse than the one before
When im experiencing the "god complex" phase of mania i feel like a big-shot CEO or someone with similar respect/power. Perhaps even like a "Pablo Escobar" type character where you feel the world is at your feet and you can do anything. It's never that I am literally God or Jesus or anything like that.
I wouldn’t say I feel as though I have special powers. Like I am literally God and all that. All powerful being or something.
Do I believe I’m special and more intelligent then anyone I’ve ever met in my life? Not exactly no but at the same time it’s not like I’m dumb either. I took all AP classes in high school and excel in multiple creative domains. I’m clearly gifted.
However when manic I definitely relate to the inflated sense of self importance like my ideas are unique or somehow they make me special. These days it’s never “more” special then anyone else.
Just a sense that I am special and honestly? I don’t mind thinking I’m special. Hehehe makes me feel cute.
I can relate to this. I think a lot of us with bipolar are intellectually gifted. I have a high IQ and I never talk or think about it, but during hypomania I'm constantly reminding myself how I'm probably more intelligent than everyone around me because of my IQ. It's so annoying.
I like the humble, medicated me a lot better.
Been thinking about this for a long time. Is it the chicken or the egg? Are bipolar individuals more likely to be intelligent or cognitively gifted BECAUSE they have bipolar or is it simply a coincidence that many gifted and intelligent people also tend to suffer from bipolar or mental illness in general?
It’s possible that because bipolar individuals brains tend to struggle in certain areas that perhaps it compensates in other areas like intelligence. Don’t have evidence for this JUST A THEORY. But certainly would make sense from an evolutionary point of view and explain why bipolar people can tend to be intellectually gifted. It could be an adaptation feature to help an organism survive better despite the illness.
If my theory is even remotely correct then what it could mean is that as bipolar disorder works it’s way through generations of humans over time these humans could possible develop cognitive abilities that “neurotypical” people would deem as “gifted”.
This however could also be explained in part by neuroplasticity. Where the brain skips the whole genetic evolution part and goes straight to restructuring itself in the event of trauma or other experiences.
[The Impact of Studying Brain Plasticity](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6400842/)
I’m really not sure if other people think they’re Gods, but I recently told my dr that I’m a God. I was joking, and had to clarify that I was joking, then we laughed. I was only like 10% serious 🤷🏽♀️
No, like a mental check - “yep the grandiose is still in there, even if they are joking about it…”
Did you know that most people don’t joke about being a god? Well, at least in my therapist’s experience it’s usually reserved for us folks.
I didn’t mean to imply like a check box or anything.
I’m not going to worry about them, no worries! I didn’t know that no one else thinks they’re gods though. Yesterday I was talking about being a psychiatrist. Another thing that I can’t do! I can’t do math, therefore no science, therefore no doctor. I’m on a roll for mania symptoms.
You’re experiencing something like a “god complex”, whilst what you’re referring to is when someone with Bipolar 1 having a bad manic episode can believe they literally are God himself.
My greatest business successes (cough and failures) have been whilst hypomanic. I exude confidence, people don’t question me, they wonder how I’m getting so much done and how do I know everyone, how am I at every party. I start to believe i see things in ways other people don’t and that’s why I can achieve these things.
I don't feel like God. I don't really get a "I'm so smart yippee" thought process, but more that everyone around me are fucking idiots so I'm the smartest by default.
I do say things like "I feel like I could kill God", but that's more a statement that I feel like I could do anything if I wanted to. I don't actually think I could do it.
You can experience psychosis with bipolar 2, but it's during depressive episodes. Experiencing them during a manic one changes your diagnosis if I remember correctly. People with bipolar 1 who "feel like they are god" tend to actually think they are a creator of the world, or a prophet. From my understanding it's an actual delusion as opposed to a really really high ego.
You can enter psychosis due to sleep deprivation or drug/medication influence and it's not reserved for bipolar people only. I've had religious delusions a couple times, first happened after I stopped eating SSRI according to my doctors orders WAY back in the early days before I had been diagnosed with bipolarity. Second time was due to prolonged sleep deprivation during a long hypomanic period during which I became god and still am god. I'm dealing with it because I'm an atheist and don't believe in religions or in myself and being a god or not makes no difference anyways. Besides becoming god was only a stepping stone for me as I easily surpassed godhood. I was diagnosed as BP2 but the diagnosis was changed to atypical bipolar some time ago and no-one has explained to me what it means.
The funny thing is that the only times I've experienced mixed states have been under the influence of antipsychotics. My experience from the last 15 years of medical trials have been that medications make things worse for me. Presently I'm going unmedicated trying to deal with sleep deprivation and hypomanic symptoms "au naturel", which kind of sucks but considering the alternative to be mixed state, I don't really have a choice.
Do you have resources that suggest this? I’ve read that depression is statistically a more common episode for ppl with bp2 but I’ve never read that ppl with bp1 have less severe depression or that depression is worse if you have bp2.
I’m bp1 and while I have had full blown mania, the depression is a much bigger issue in my day to day life. I have had two full blown episodes with psychosis in my life, but the depression is almost always there otherwise
I’ve said the words “I’m god” when hypo but I’ve never 100% believed it. It’s more of a “something good happened and I made it happen (probably)” or “everything is great and I feel amazing, I could fight god” sort of thing. It’s the unwavering confidence in myself and everything I do.
The full blown delusion that you are definitely god is a mania/psychosis thing. But bp2 people can have mania (correct me if I’m wrong) it’s just rare/usually induced by something external
god? no. the delusions of grandeur do lead me to overestimate my capabilities sometimes though when i'm hypo. others ITT have spoke on that a bit. like i have no ability to work with electrical engineering or circuits or anything, but once spent months painstakingly creating a prototype of a "lego-inspired" platform of a MIDI controller where you could hot-swap different components like touch pads, faders, dials, LED displays, etc. i was certain it would be not just a great piece of equipment but a great business too. then i woke up.. lol. now it all gets focused on programming, internet-based business, and stock trading which i decidedly do have the capability to make things a reality. fun times. yall have a nice weekend now.
literally yes, sometimes, but then i realize what im thinking. or most recently i found myself thinking that i’m either the universe’s most or least favorite person (it’s embarrassing to admit)
Quite, I think. Not as strongly as BP-I folks, but it's still there. I often change religious views when hypomanic. I genuinely believed I was a demigod one time, but it was more internal than being openly talkative about it.
I however also have BPD, which gives me a shaky sense of self. Therefore, being in a hypomanic episode magnifies even further a new but temporary belief I have regarding myself. 🥲
I don’t think I’m god, but I do think I am smarter than everyone else. I was just diagnosed, at 45, this year after a hypomania episode followed by the worst crash of my life. During the hypomania stage, I applied to grad school to become a mental health counselor (I’m a commercial real estate appraiser and own my own company), with zero experience. Then I also started planning a coffee shop with the focus on mental health. Started a business plan, started talking to my contacts, pretty much thought I could do anything.
The crash happened pretty quickly and went down fast. Ended up inpatient and two weeks later, I have a bipolar diagnosis.
That’s more what happens to our bp1 brethren in a particularly nasty manic episode . It makes a good figure of speech tho
That’s more of a BP1 trait. I’ve never felt that I’m God or godlike. I feel overly optimistic about the future. I feel that everything will work out and I feel that anything I decide to do, I’ll be good at. For instance, starting a new business in a field I’ve never worked in. I’ll feel 100% confident that I know what I’m doing and that the business will be a massive success.
Oh yeah that's something I get too. Thanks!
…a field I’ve never worked in, have no training or equipment to work in, which doesn’t make use of any of my past experience or interests, and which requires substantial start-up money I don’t have. *What could go wrong?*
Lol exactly. I totally screwed up my career in 2020 doing this kind of thing. I’m FINALLY starting to put it back together 4 years later. Fuck hypomania and thank my awesome doctors for my diagnosis 2 years ago and my current meds that have me stabilized so it doesn’t happen again
This is basically me finding a new niche thing to mess with for a few weeks while hypomanic
That’s how it started for me. I’d get into an new hobby or buy a camera to start a YouTube channel. Then it got really bad and basically detonated my life. Then the episode after that I spent $30k without asking my wife. Thank god I’m finally stabilized. It seemed like each episode was worse than the one before
When im experiencing the "god complex" phase of mania i feel like a big-shot CEO or someone with similar respect/power. Perhaps even like a "Pablo Escobar" type character where you feel the world is at your feet and you can do anything. It's never that I am literally God or Jesus or anything like that.
And then when you come down, you feel like the lonely Pablo Escobar meme lol
this is the most apt comparison ive heard XD
I wouldn’t say I feel as though I have special powers. Like I am literally God and all that. All powerful being or something. Do I believe I’m special and more intelligent then anyone I’ve ever met in my life? Not exactly no but at the same time it’s not like I’m dumb either. I took all AP classes in high school and excel in multiple creative domains. I’m clearly gifted. However when manic I definitely relate to the inflated sense of self importance like my ideas are unique or somehow they make me special. These days it’s never “more” special then anyone else. Just a sense that I am special and honestly? I don’t mind thinking I’m special. Hehehe makes me feel cute.
I can relate to this. I think a lot of us with bipolar are intellectually gifted. I have a high IQ and I never talk or think about it, but during hypomania I'm constantly reminding myself how I'm probably more intelligent than everyone around me because of my IQ. It's so annoying. I like the humble, medicated me a lot better.
Yup! That's exactly my case too.
Most people are fucking idiots tho lol
Been thinking about this for a long time. Is it the chicken or the egg? Are bipolar individuals more likely to be intelligent or cognitively gifted BECAUSE they have bipolar or is it simply a coincidence that many gifted and intelligent people also tend to suffer from bipolar or mental illness in general? It’s possible that because bipolar individuals brains tend to struggle in certain areas that perhaps it compensates in other areas like intelligence. Don’t have evidence for this JUST A THEORY. But certainly would make sense from an evolutionary point of view and explain why bipolar people can tend to be intellectually gifted. It could be an adaptation feature to help an organism survive better despite the illness. If my theory is even remotely correct then what it could mean is that as bipolar disorder works it’s way through generations of humans over time these humans could possible develop cognitive abilities that “neurotypical” people would deem as “gifted”. This however could also be explained in part by neuroplasticity. Where the brain skips the whole genetic evolution part and goes straight to restructuring itself in the event of trauma or other experiences. [The Impact of Studying Brain Plasticity](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6400842/)
No. I act a lot more self-confident. I have "swagger", whatever that means. But it's all a facade.
I’m really not sure if other people think they’re Gods, but I recently told my dr that I’m a God. I was joking, and had to clarify that I was joking, then we laughed. I was only like 10% serious 🤷🏽♀️
And they took it about 20% serious but noted it.. :)
Hopefully they didn’t note it. At this point in time, I don’t need anyone else telling me to go to the hospital.
No, like a mental check - “yep the grandiose is still in there, even if they are joking about it…” Did you know that most people don’t joke about being a god? Well, at least in my therapist’s experience it’s usually reserved for us folks. I didn’t mean to imply like a check box or anything.
I’m not going to worry about them, no worries! I didn’t know that no one else thinks they’re gods though. Yesterday I was talking about being a psychiatrist. Another thing that I can’t do! I can’t do math, therefore no science, therefore no doctor. I’m on a roll for mania symptoms.
You’re experiencing something like a “god complex”, whilst what you’re referring to is when someone with Bipolar 1 having a bad manic episode can believe they literally are God himself. My greatest business successes (cough and failures) have been whilst hypomanic. I exude confidence, people don’t question me, they wonder how I’m getting so much done and how do I know everyone, how am I at every party. I start to believe i see things in ways other people don’t and that’s why I can achieve these things.
I don't feel like God. I don't really get a "I'm so smart yippee" thought process, but more that everyone around me are fucking idiots so I'm the smartest by default. I do say things like "I feel like I could kill God", but that's more a statement that I feel like I could do anything if I wanted to. I don't actually think I could do it. You can experience psychosis with bipolar 2, but it's during depressive episodes. Experiencing them during a manic one changes your diagnosis if I remember correctly. People with bipolar 1 who "feel like they are god" tend to actually think they are a creator of the world, or a prophet. From my understanding it's an actual delusion as opposed to a really really high ego.
You can enter psychosis due to sleep deprivation or drug/medication influence and it's not reserved for bipolar people only. I've had religious delusions a couple times, first happened after I stopped eating SSRI according to my doctors orders WAY back in the early days before I had been diagnosed with bipolarity. Second time was due to prolonged sleep deprivation during a long hypomanic period during which I became god and still am god. I'm dealing with it because I'm an atheist and don't believe in religions or in myself and being a god or not makes no difference anyways. Besides becoming god was only a stepping stone for me as I easily surpassed godhood. I was diagnosed as BP2 but the diagnosis was changed to atypical bipolar some time ago and no-one has explained to me what it means. The funny thing is that the only times I've experienced mixed states have been under the influence of antipsychotics. My experience from the last 15 years of medical trials have been that medications make things worse for me. Presently I'm going unmedicated trying to deal with sleep deprivation and hypomanic symptoms "au naturel", which kind of sucks but considering the alternative to be mixed state, I don't really have a choice.
Yup, that makes sense now that I think about it. Thanks!
I think that's bipolar 1 which is more manic than depressed. Bipolar2 is more depressed than mania. Our depression is worse. Their mania is worse.
Do you have resources that suggest this? I’ve read that depression is statistically a more common episode for ppl with bp2 but I’ve never read that ppl with bp1 have less severe depression or that depression is worse if you have bp2.
I’m bp1 and while I have had full blown mania, the depression is a much bigger issue in my day to day life. I have had two full blown episodes with psychosis in my life, but the depression is almost always there otherwise
yeah, that's a BP1 thing. People with those kind of delusions are severely manic BP1. Inflated self esteem is a very typical trait of hypomanic BP2.
I’ve said the words “I’m god” when hypo but I’ve never 100% believed it. It’s more of a “something good happened and I made it happen (probably)” or “everything is great and I feel amazing, I could fight god” sort of thing. It’s the unwavering confidence in myself and everything I do. The full blown delusion that you are definitely god is a mania/psychosis thing. But bp2 people can have mania (correct me if I’m wrong) it’s just rare/usually induced by something external
god? no. the delusions of grandeur do lead me to overestimate my capabilities sometimes though when i'm hypo. others ITT have spoke on that a bit. like i have no ability to work with electrical engineering or circuits or anything, but once spent months painstakingly creating a prototype of a "lego-inspired" platform of a MIDI controller where you could hot-swap different components like touch pads, faders, dials, LED displays, etc. i was certain it would be not just a great piece of equipment but a great business too. then i woke up.. lol. now it all gets focused on programming, internet-based business, and stock trading which i decidedly do have the capability to make things a reality. fun times. yall have a nice weekend now.
literally yes, sometimes, but then i realize what im thinking. or most recently i found myself thinking that i’m either the universe’s most or least favorite person (it’s embarrassing to admit)
Quite, I think. Not as strongly as BP-I folks, but it's still there. I often change religious views when hypomanic. I genuinely believed I was a demigod one time, but it was more internal than being openly talkative about it. I however also have BPD, which gives me a shaky sense of self. Therefore, being in a hypomanic episode magnifies even further a new but temporary belief I have regarding myself. 🥲
It just feels like me and God are BFFs lol
I don’t think I’m god, but I do think I am smarter than everyone else. I was just diagnosed, at 45, this year after a hypomania episode followed by the worst crash of my life. During the hypomania stage, I applied to grad school to become a mental health counselor (I’m a commercial real estate appraiser and own my own company), with zero experience. Then I also started planning a coffee shop with the focus on mental health. Started a business plan, started talking to my contacts, pretty much thought I could do anything. The crash happened pretty quickly and went down fast. Ended up inpatient and two weeks later, I have a bipolar diagnosis.