Mania is one of the stages of bipolar disorder, a disorder also known as manic-depressive illness. It is characterized by a state of intense euphoria, with increased energy, agitation, restlessness, mania for greatness, less need for sleep, and can even cause aggression, delusions and hallucinations.
Hypomania, on the other hand, is a milder form of mania, with less severe symptoms and which interfere less in the person's daily life, and there may be chatter, greater disposition, impatience, more sociability, initiative and energy to perform daily activities.
The person with bipolar disorder experiences mood swings between bouts of mania or hypomania and depression. Generally, when alternating between episodes of mania and depression, the disease is classified as type 1 Bipolar disorder. When alternating between hypomania and depression, it is classified as Bipolar Disorder type 2. Understand what is bipolar disorder and its characteristics.
It is important to remember that not every change in mood indicates mania or bipolar disorder, as it is common for everyone to have small mood swings throughout the day or week. In order to detect bipolar mania, it is necessary for the psychiatrist to carry out an evaluation of the signs and symptoms and identify whether they are characteristic of the disease.
Main symptoms
Bipolar mania and hypomania elicit feelings of euphoria that are very disproportionate to any positive event. The main symptoms include:
1. Bipolar Mania
The manic episode has symptoms that include:
- Excessive euphoria; Inflated self-esteem or mania of greatness; Speaking excessively; Accelerated thinking, leaking ideas; Lots of distraction; Greater agitation or energy to perform activities; Loss of control over your attitudes; Involvement in risky activities that normally require caution, such as unreasonable financial investments, rampant shopping or increased sexual appetite, for example; there may be irritability or aggression; there may be delusions or hallucinations.
For the event to be characterized as mania, there must be at least 3 symptoms, which must last at least 7 days and persist for most of the day, or in cases where they are so severe as to require hospitalization.
These symptoms are so intense that they usually disturb the person's social and professional relationships with the disease, being considered a medical and social emergency, which should be treated as soon as possible.
2. Hypomania
The signs and symptoms of an episode of hypomania are similar to those of mania, however, they are milder. The main ones include:
- Euphoria or high mood; Greater creativity; Reduced need for sleep, being rested after sleeping for about 3 hours, for example; Talking more than usual or chattering; Accelerated thinking; Easy distraction; Agitation or increased energy to perform activities; Easily carry out activities that would require greater caution, such as rampant purchases, risky financial investments and increased sexual appetite.
Hypomania symptoms do not usually cause damage to social and professional relationships, nor do they cause symptoms such as delusions or hallucinations, besides they usually last for a short time, about 1 week.
In addition, they are not serious enough to require hospitalization, and in some cases, they may even go unnoticed. In such cases, many patients end up being treated as having only depression, as the alternation of mood may not be detected.
How to confirm
The episode of mania or hypomania is identified by the psychiatrist, who will assess the symptoms reported by the patient or by people close to him.
It is also important for the doctor to make evaluations and tests that can rule out other diseases or situations that cause similar symptoms, such as thyroid dysregulation, side effects of medications, such as corticosteroids, use of illicit drugs or other psychiatric illnesses, such as schizophrenia or personality disorders., for example.
Also check out what are the main mental disorders and how to identify each one.
How to treat
The treatment of bipolar disorder is guided by the psychiatrist, made with drugs that act to stabilize the mood, such as Lithium or Valproate, for example. Antipsychotics, such as Haloperidol, Quetiapine or Olanzapine, may also be indicated to calm behavior and decrease psychotic symptoms.
Psychotherapy by the psychologist is very helpful in helping the patient and family to deal with mood changes. Anxiolytics can also be indicated in cases of a lot of agitation and, in addition, in severe cases or resistant to treatment, electroconvulsive therapy may be indicated.
Find out more details about treatment options for bipolar disorder.
