psych nursing question. How to have a meaningful therapeutic conversation with a manic patient?

WOW! What a loaded ?. Since I am manic (and have been for 20yrs) I can understand where you are coming from... from the other side! You need to "sway" the conversation in one direction. Ask questions that bring the talker to a certain point. Keep that point the same. Everytime the subject gets changed, change it back gradually. Take what the talker is talking about and bring it back to the esablished point. But usually all you probably are going to be successful at is "listening", nodding, and saying "uh huh".

It isn't possible to have a meaningful therapeutic discussion with a person like that..not in the manic phase anyway. Is this a test question, or a real case?? If it's real the only thing meaningful you can do is be there (in the room) and let them know your here to help...don't force a therapeutic discussion that will only add to their distress because your trying to calm their mind and worries..you don't want to give them more to think about by bringing up topics that they aren't concerned about....*warning* with a person with a history of violence/bipolar/and paranoid do not warn them about consequences, or remind them of proper conduct, or rules in general!!!! That will provoke a negative unpredictable response.