Bipolar? What is Mania Really?
Published: Mon, 03/22/10
Hi ,
How are you today?
I hope you are having a good day.
I have been hearing a lot of confusion lately about mania.
What is mania exactly?
When you google search "define mania" you get some very strange
answers, and some good ones.
How do you know which are which?
For example, I found one definition that said it was a violent derangement
of mind, that it was madness and insanity, and that you could also call it
delirium.
I find that funny, because most of those terms aren't even politically
correct terms to use anymore!
Another definition said it was an insane passion affecting a person.
Well, that hits just a little closer to the truth, but it is still pretty far off.
Some of the definitions would lead you to believe that mania is a motive,
or a disorder by itself.
One definition even called it fanaticism! (Which means extreme passion.)
So what is it really? Which parts of these definitions are true, and which
parts are made up?
Let's begin by going over what mania is not.
It is not just a passion: it is much more than that.
I'm not sure it can be called a motive, as it leaves the person unmotivated
to do the things they should be doing.
It is not a disorder by itself, it is a symptom.
So what sort of symptom is it?
One definition I found that came a little closer to the truth said something
along the lines of:
Mania is a state of abnormally high or irritable moods/arousal/energy
levels. It is a criteria for certain diagnoses of psychiatric illnesses.
"High or irritable moods and energy levels." It is easy enough to figure
out what a high energy level is.
But what is a high mood?
When you have a high mood you feel elated.
For example, when your friend surprises you with a card for no particular
reason, just because they were thinking about you. This could make your
whole day better.
Or when you get done with a hard task and know that you have the rest of
the day to yourself to relax. The accomplishment might give you a "high"
mood.
The difference between these normally high moods and mania is that with
mania there isn't a good reason why the person is in such a good mood.
In fact, they could be having the worst day imaginable, and they seem to
be untouched by it.
Another symptom of mania can be irritability.
Have you ever had one of those days where nothing could go right? Didn't
that make you irritable?
People who experience mania can experience this for no particular reason.
Grandiose notions is another symptom, which basically means that the
person believes that they are better and more capable than what they are,
and maybe even in a higher position.
They may believe they can do no wrong, no matter what they do.
People who are in a manic episode may talk to much, too quickly, and too
loudly.
They may have racing thoughts that they cannot seem to slow down.
Have you ever had that? Maybe at bedtime, all the events of the day run
through your mind so that you cannot sleep.
Imagine having that happen all of the time.
Can you see why they might be irritable?
Maybe you've noticed this next one in the person you know that has
bipolar disorder, but you might be hesitant to talk or ask about it.
People who are in a manic episode have an increased sexual desire, and
are more likely to involve themselves in inappropriate and even dangerous
sexual activity.
Uh oh, now the cat's out of the bag.
But it's true, and sometimes it can affect the lives of a person with bipolar
disorder and the people who love them in many ways.
Another symptom of mania is having all the energy in the world.
Have you ever seen a young child? Especially a two-year old.
I've heard so many people say that if only they could bottle up that energy
and sell it they'd be rich.
Well, if there was some way to take only the energy level out of mania
and sell it, then they'd probably be even richer.
Now, maybe you've noticed this, and it was hinted at when we talked
about the sexual desires.
People who are experiencing mania have poor judgment.
It's not like they just make a few mistakes, like we all do.
It is to the point that they cannot think rationally at all, and some things
that we would normally think was obvious, and may even be obvious to
them when they are not like this, are things that they can't even
understand right then.
Let's take jobs for example.
A person with bipolar disorder, we'll call her Gina, has worked at her job
for 10 years.
It has been a stable job, and she loves working there.
One day, while in a manic episode, she decides that another job that
claims great promises would be better for her, and without even knowing
if she has this other job, she quits the job she's had for 10 years to pursue
it.
Sound familiar?
Another example of poor judgment that they may exhibit is in the use of
drugs and alcohol.
They also may spend money recklessly, or drive recklessly.
Do you remember when we talked about thoughts racing before bedtime?
Can you imagine someone with all this going on being able to sleep well?
Most people who are in a manic episode experience insomnia, or
difficulty sleeping.
Sometimes a person who is in a manic episode experiences delusions or
hallucinations, but this does not happen to everyone who experiences
mania.
Other times, the person may experience rage or aggression.
This is not to say that they naturally become violent just because they are
in a manic episode.
But they may have the feelings of anger and aggression for no apparent
reason.
One thing to remember about mania is that it is abnormal.
So if a person is experiencing only one or two things that happens to be on
this list, and they are experiencing them in a normal way for normal
reasons, then that is not mania.
So, despite all the randomly inaccurate definitions that are floating around
on the internet, there is some truth to be found about what mania is.
Does this all make sense to you?
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Well, I have to go!
Your Friend,
Dave
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