Similar to manic episodes of bi-polar disorder?

[Dalfir]

SWIM was watching the film Mr Jones, with Richard Gere, about a bi-polar man and the manic episodes (allegedly intensively researched) are portrayed in a very similar way to one under the influence of MDMA.

Are manic episodes also caused by a influx of serotonin and dopamine and then the subsequent depletion causes the depression?

Reputation Comments on this post:

Interesting topic. Good post.

[Fantasian]

bi-polar has definately been associated with dopamine levels and to a lesser extent. Whether this is due to the lack of a neurotransmitter, sensativity of receptors or the brain unable to main a balanced regulation is yet to be discovered. It's also very possible that bi-polar has many more aspects that just those two neurotranmitters involved. For a start bi-polar is treated with anti-psychotics not just anti-depressants. It's actually arguable that anti depressants have no effect on the bi-polar disorder itself.

On a side note: SWIF has bi-polar friends and the states the get into and/or describe are nothing like those under the influence of MDMA. It would be an insult to say so. Bi-polar individuals do not experience any of the empathy and love during a manic phase, in fact many describe that phase as just as unpleasant as the depression due to a lack of control.

Hope this helped feel free to ask more

[~lostgurl~]

SWIM enjoys her manic episodes, her last big one started when she quit meth last November and it definitely felt similar to MDMA, she felt high, horny and had a hell of a time trying to sleep.

[Heretic.Ape.]

Monkey would say hypomania is fairly similar. Full blown mania is not.

[hamilton1985]

can be tough, i mean manic episodes may feel good but are often associated with 'odd behaviour'. SWIM had MAJOR spending problem because of manic episodes - she'd go on spending sprees which turned out to be related to mania

[FuBai]

Originally Posted by Dalfir

SWIM was watching the film Mr Jones, with Richard Gere, about a bi-polar man and the manic episodes (allegedly intensively researched) are portrayed in a very similar way to one under the influence of MDMA.

Are manic episodes also caused by a influx of serotonin and dopamine and then the subsequent depletion causes the depression?

Manic episodes are more like cocaine than ecstacy in the opinion of my bi-polar friend Barry Betlegast. The mania is more self-centred than the MDMA experience and not as empathetic, so he says. The Mania is like a driving force, giving him great energy and confidence but not necesarily a great happiness, certainly not of the heady, sickly kind that MDMA gives you.

[~lostgurl~]

^^ SWIM would agree that one feels a lot more clear headed during a manic episode than while taking ecstasy. But although being self-centered is commonly associated with mania, SWIM felt a closeness/openness to others that was very similar to an MDMA experience. But as mania strongly affects ones perception of reality, this may not have been the case to those she was feeling open and close with!!

[Matt The Funk]

SWIM would definately agree about manic episodes being similiar to cocaine. And hypomania similar to meth. Hypomania is an enjoyable high for SWIM, but can quickly lead to mania, especially if caffeine or other stimulants are consumed. But MDMA isn't very similar to mania, perhaps some of the stimulant, and feelings of horniness, are similar to hypomania.

[MrG]

SWIM's wife has had very bad periods of rapid-cycling bi-polar manic depression caused by a serious illness which went undiagnosed for a long time (she is in a recovery phase now following SWIM's own diagnosis and treatment but that is another story).

One of the things that struck a chord about the original post was that she often said that when she took cocaine, apart from the usual cocaine experience which she enjoyed, she told SWIM that those times were the few occasions that she felt completely normal and "back within herself" again.

So dopamine and serotonin must have played a part there.