A question about Bipolar disorder and special interests

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I have a question for those that have been diagnosed with both AS/autism and Bipolar disorder. How does the manic and depressive stage affect your special interests?

I don't have a good understanding of Bipolar disorder, but do you feel more in a manic stage when you are engaged in/talking about your special interest, and in more of a depressed stage when you can't have access to your special interest/it has been taken away, etc? Or do both of these stages have little or no impact, or a different experience other than what I have mentioned?

I don't have bipolar disorder, but I think most Aspies feel like that when they're giving monologues about their special interests or are deprived of them. It's just probably more pronounced in somebody with bipolar disorder who is more sensitive to mood shifts. But be warned that giving excited monologues about your special interest when you're not manic/hypomanic may prompt your doctor to think you are.

Before I was diagnosed with AS, several of my doctors thought I was cyclothymic, and that my excitement and loquaciousness were really possible signs of hypomania. My PCP specifically thought that my monologues were really pressured speech. I also am naturally a very moody person, so much so that my psychiatrist put me on the mood stabilizer Lamictal, which has helped me a lot. Bipolar disorder is one of my special interests, so I knew that not all of the pieces fit, even though I did have clear-cut signs. It wasn't until I was diagnosed with AS that it all fit into place.

Anyway, something that you need to keep in mind is that sudden increased or decreased interest/time spent on one of your special interests may very well be an early sign of an impending manic/depressive episode. It would most likely be a better indication of upcoming hypomania/mania, just for the fact that depression involves apathy and anhedonia about all the things you find enjoyable, not just special interests. But if you suddenly are researching a special interest all night long instead of sleeping and/or are thinking/talking about the special interest nonstop along with other symptoms, you should probably talk to your psychiatrist and get your medication levels checked.
-OddDuckNash99-