As someone with bipolar disorder, I can’t tell you how many times I have been told that a hobby would be good for me. I took this advice to heart for a while. I have started many hobbies. Most I have done for about five minutes each.
The definition of a hobby is an activity done regularly in one’s leisure time for pleasure. There is a problem with this, for me and for other folks with bipolar disorder.
First, doing something for pleasure is great. The hard part is that when we are depressed, pleasure is elusive if it is accessible at all.
When I start a hobby and then stop doing it because I am depressed, I later feel guilty for not following through. The guilt then makes it harder for me to get back to the hobby after I have recovered from the depression.
On the other end, when I am manic and doing a hobby, I get obsessed with it. It is all I can think about. My mind always comes back to the hobby. I do the hobby. I think about the hobby. I dream about the hobby. I neglect everything else to do the hobby. My friends and family get sick of hearing about my hobby.
Eventually, the mania subsides. But the negative, out-of-control feelings are still fresh in my mind and associated with the hobby. So doing the hobby feels bad.
The other thing about the definition of hobbies is that a hobby is something you do in your leisure time. Trust me; there is nothing leisurely about my life when I am manic. My mind is go, go, go. Slowing down to do a hobby is not an option.
There is a time when I think I can start a hobby and follow through. That is when I am stable. I know, however, that this stable time is only temporary. It is a serious decision for me to decide to do something, knowing the guilt I will feel for quitting the hobby when I get depressed.
I also have residual negative feelings from having obsessed about other hobbies and how they played a role in my mania.
I am not trying to say that hobbies are not good. For many, many people with bipolar disorder, a hobby gives them peace of mind that is elusive to so many of us.
As I say all this, I would really like to have a hobby that I can do that will give me pleasure. I like pleasure. I wonder, if I had a hobby would it help me be stable? With this in mind, I looked up some ideas for hobbies online.
I found one that appeals to me. I am talking about napping. This is a hobby I can get behind. It is good for me. Sleep is good for my mood cycles. It feels good. I look forward to it. I don’t obsess about it, and I don’t feel guilty if I don’t do it for a few days.
On the list I found online, napping was spelled wrong. They spelled it knapping. I thought it was the British spelling or something. Then I looked it up. Knapping is the shaping of certain types of stone through the process of lithic reduction to manufacture stone tools and other items.
Wow! I don’t want to offend any knappers out there, but I think I will stick with napping.
Originally posted October 3, 2016
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I do not know what exactly my medical condition, is if any. My problem I have too many hobbies… I have at least a DOZEN different hobbies I try and participate in at least a couple times a year, from kayaking to cycling, to hiking and HiFi audio! My problem is I stumble into random hobbies, then get fully sucked into that one hobby for about two or three months. After said period, it gets recycled to the back of the line in my long list of other interests. I’m on like constant rotation of hobbies/interests at this point that I can never fully carry out my desire to do just one thing to the fullest potential. When I was younger I had one hobby and one hobby only, cycling, but now I’ve just acquired over a dozen various things that have sucked my interest.
I’m not sure where to go from here…
Think im with you on the napping vs knapping
I am bipolar and understand this article. Hobbies are easy to find hard to keep. I think napping should be a hobby. If I do end up finishing a project. I feel guilty for not being able to recreate the project. Being a mom makes it even harder.
How would you recommend helping someone who does this? Like, I’m his gf, and he changes hobbies every day almost. How would I help him?
Just try to support him! I have been told I suffer from a severe level of adult ADHD! I mean well! I strive to help people! Yet, I’ve been fired multiple times! Nothing illegal, or immoral, however!
A few physicians thought I had bpd, too! Good-Luck, with your dude!
I’m a little late to the party but I’ve been diagnosed with bipolar type 2 for all of like, 5 days, and wow… I feel this article in my soul. I have a “craft room” filled with supplies for hobbies I thought were going to solve all the problems in my life. I become obsessed with researching the hobby, and within a few hours, I’m talking about it like I was born to revolutionize the world of: embroidery, antique restoration, beading, painting, crochet, toy making, video gaming, landscaping, jewelry/sticker design, organizing (I was obsessed with being a professional organizer for a while, totally a thing), etc… Oftentimes I set up a perfect business plan revolving around my new skill. I always have to buy the best supplies, then I drop them and put everything into storage, sometimes only days later. Other times I’ll get depressed mid-business plan and the stuff will lay around my living room collecting dust until my depression starts to ease off and I can put it away. I always have a sort of nostalgic attachment for my time with each hobby but never really pick them back up.. so far napping is the only one to stick around for me as well
I absolutely do exactly the same