The mood swings in general give me insight into internal state. Mania does not.

Mania gave me the energy to do a lot of things I would never have done or experienced without. The variety of lived experience means I know what many people’s jobs are and the general strategies used to do them.

The combination makes understanding people easier.

But mania isn’t worth it. It is a terrible monster I never want to see again. One episode broken me so completely I lost all self-identity.