I don’t have bipolar disorder, but my first 5 day fast has definitely energized me in a surprising way. I can imagine how someone with Bipolar might either have mania triggered or feel very similar to that state.
Do you find the mania goes away once you finish the fast?
It was actually after I discovered intermittent fasting that I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I went to the doctor for joint pain and was seriously manic and had no idea. I had been doing rolling 24 hour fasts at the time with a 20 minute feeding window. Looking back, I can see where I cycled over the years before I ever discovered IF, but the fasting increased the noradrenaline levels, which made my mania more noticeable. It didn’t CAUSE the bipolar, but definitely brought it out so that it was finally diagnosed. Now, I take medication and have noticed that fasting doesn’t seem to trigger or intensify mania.