When people are manic, they usually have much more energy than usual. They often have very strong emotions, and their moods may change very quickly.[1]
The word "mania" comes from the Greek language (μwordsανία means mania).[2] That word comes from μαίνομαι (mainomai), which means "to rage" or "to be furious" (very angry).
Mania is a symptom, not an illness by itself. Many different things can cause mania. These things include illegal drugs and brain tumors. However, most of the time, mania happens in people with bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder causes periods of mania that switch off with periods of depression.[3]
Like with other symptoms, mania can be mild (not very bad), severe (very bad), or anywhere in between. Mild mania is usually called "hypomania." Very bad mania can cause psychosis, with hallucinations and delusions.[4]
Sometimes people with mania may need to be hospitalized so they do not hurt themselves or other people. Many people with mania and hypomania have special creativity and artistictalents.[5]
Racing thoughts, which can sometimes make it impossible for the person to concentrate on anything other than their thoughts[6]
Acting impulsively (doing things without thinking them through), like spending a lot of money or having unsafe sex. People are more likely to put themselves in danger when they are manic.[7][8]
Physical symptoms, like sweating, pacing, and losing weight
Hypersexuality (wanting to have sex much more than usual)
Delusions of grandeur: The person believes he is very important - for example, that he knows everything, or is famous, all-powerful, or very wealthy
Delusions of potential: The person believes he can do things he cannot really do (for example, believing he can build a house on his own, when he has never built anything before)
Delusions of persecution: The person believes other people are "out to get him" and are causing his problems on purpose
The person's mood is euphoric, and can change from being happy and carefree, to "almost uncontrollable excitement"
The person has an unusual amount of energy and is always doing some kind of activity
The person seems like they have to keep talking
The person does not seem to need sleep
The person cannot pay attention to anything, and gets distracted very easily
Often, the person feels very important, is much more confident than usual, and has unreasonable ideas about what they can do (for example, they may feel like nothing can stop them from getting what they want)
The person does not have normal social inhibitions (a sense of what is right and appropriate to do around other people). This can lead to behavior that is inappropriate, reckless, and unusual for the person.
Causes
Mental illness
Mania is usually a symptom of mental illness, most often bipolar disorder. A diagnosis of type I bipolar disorder (bipolar I disorder) can be made based on a single manic episode. This is the most common cause of mania.[3] If a person is hypomanic, they may have type II bipolar disorder or cyclothymia.[11] If a person has psychosis that lasts longer than their mania, they may have schizoaffective disorder.[11]
Medical causes
Mania is usually caused by a mental illness. However, some medical illnesses can cause symptoms of mania. Some doctors use the mnemonic E-MANIC to remember the possible medical causes of mania:[12]
Infection: Infections in the brain can cause mania. Examples include meningitis, brain infections caused by HIV/AIDS, and neurosyphilis (the last stage of syphilis, when the disease reaches the brain)
Not having enough vitamin B-12 (vitamin B-12 deficiency) can also cause mania and psychosis.[13][14]
Medical treatment
If mania is caused by a medical problem, the best thing to do is to treat that medical problem.
If mania is caused by a mental illness, the best treatment is a combination of medicines and psychotherapy (talking with a therapist or counselor).
Doctors usually treat mania with a combination of mood stabilizers and antipsychotic medicines.[15] While taking these medicines, the patient should see their doctor regularly to be checked for side effects.
When the symptoms of mania have ended, long-term treatment then focuses on preventative treatment. The goal of this kind of treatment is to prevent periods of mania or depression from happening. Very often, this is done using a combination of drugs and psychotherapy. Medication works best for bipolar disorder, and other mental illnesses, when it is combined with other treatments like psychotherapy.[16]
↑Fletcher K, Parker G, Paterson A, Synnott H (2013). "High-risk behaviour in hypomanic states". J Affect Disord. 150 (1): 50–6. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2013.02.018. PMID23489397.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑Pawlak J, Dmitrzak-Węglarz M, Skibińska M, Szczepankiewicz A, Leszczyńska-Rodziewicz A, Rajewska-Rager A, Maciukiewicz M, Czerski P, Hauser J (2013). "Suicide attempts and psychological risk factors in patients with bipolar and unipolar affective disorder". Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 35 (3): 309–13. doi:10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2012.11.010. PMID23352318.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑Sethi NK, Robilotti E, Sadan Y (2005). "Neurological Manifestations Of Vitamin B-12 Deficiency". The Internet Journal of Nutrition and Wellness. 2 (1).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑Cipriani A, Barbui C, Salanti G, Rendell J, Brown R, Stockton S, Purgato M, Spineli LM, Goodwin GM, Geddes JR (2011). "Comparative efficacy and acceptability of antimanic drugs in acute mania: a multiple-treatments meta-analysis". Lancet. 378 (9799): 1306–15. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60873-8. PMID21851976. S2CID25512763.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑Melinda Smith, M.A., Lawrence Robinson, Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., and Damon Ramsey, MD (1 March 2012). "The Bipolar Medication Guide". HelpGuide.org. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
