PS Some time I could start a thread talking about that manic experience for people to consider and share their own experiences and insights, if you have experienced and/or witnessed this, I would appreciate if you could share your views there if you feel it appropriate.
One thing I wonder is, whether there was some potentially beneficial factor to mania which has resulted in the genes for it being preserved (if it is indeed genetically based). I could see the advantage for survival in extreme situations if you barely need to eat and sleep and don't know the meaning of fear. The negative of course is that it is a distinct disadvantage when you are NOT in an extreme survival situation, and it drains you- it's like using up all your energy for the year in one week. Thankfully I have only had the one episode and feel confident that I would recognize another one coming on and seek help before it was too late. Some people's lives have been totally destroyed by this illness/condition/whatever it is. You literally cannot sleep even if you're desperate for sleep, I remember in the hospital doing hundreds of push ups and other exercises trying to tire myself out enough to sleep, to no avail. Lithium seemed to help calm me down a bit (or perhaps that was the placebo effect of expecting it to). I haven't taken lithium or any other psychiatric drug for over a year and a half and seem to be doing fine so far. Anyway enough about that for now, but I'll start a thread about it some time.
One thing I've noticed since being diagnosed as a nutter, is how many other nutters there are out there. It seems that there are almost as many nutters as "sane" people (nutters who conform to the officially sanctioned brand of insanity called "normal.")