What is a Manic Episode?

A manic episode entails a change in mood, high energy levels, racing thoughts, talking incredibly fast, and having extreme and exaggerated behaviors. Moreover, people who have a manic episode have delusions or hallucinations, which may make it difficult to differentiate fact from fiction. 

Manic disorders usually occur in someone who has Bipolar Disorder. Manic episodes and other related illnesses linked to bipolar disorder, such as depression and anxiety, often make it difficult to manage. If you’re interested, you may want to read about the life of Lori-Ellen Pisani, specifically related to living with the condition. However, one thing to remember is that not all patients with Bipolar Disorder have manic episodes, and the frequency of such episodes often vary from person to person.

When does it happen?

Manic episodes often last for more extended periods compared to panic or anxiety attacks. It usually occurs during periods of depression – which further exaggerate depression symptoms like fatigue, sadness, and hopelessness. However, one thing to remember is that though it is common in people with bipolar disorder, there are also other causes for sudden changes in behavior or mood, such as taking medications that affect hormones,

Because of this, it is best to refrain from calling someone “bipolar” just because the attitude or mood for someone changes. It often offends people and belittles those with the condition as people who are insensitive because they cannot fully take control of their emotions. Learning to be empathetic towards others will help you take care of someone with Bipolar Disorder better.

What are the symptoms?

Knowing when to get help is an integral part of taking care of someone with a mental illness. While many people try to hide or repress these symptoms – especially those who also have depression, anxiety, or other conditions other than bipolar disorder. 

Sudden changes in moods do not automatically indicate a manic episode. It is normal for some people to have sudden shifts in mood, especially when encountering sudden, startling news. What’s important to pay attention to is not the changes in the mood but the changes in their behavior. This refers to changes in the pattern, not the mood itself.

1. Hyperactivity

More often than not, people with manic episodes have a decreased need for sleep and an increased activity level. This means that they can do many tasks and activities even with decreased sleep. The issue with this is that lack of sleep and bipolar disorder feed off each other most of the time. This means that more sleep problems can worsen manic episodes and vice versa.

Most people in manic episodes have so much extra energy that they try to look for other ways to use up the energy, a symptom commonly referred to as “multitasking on steroids.” A sudden burst in productivity, creativity, and sometimes even aggression or hostility often happens.

2. Speaking rapidly

In relation to hyperactivity, they usually end up speaking a lot faster than usual since they have so many thoughts that happen so fast, leading them to talk faster to catch up with their ideas. However, remember that the focus here is “than usual.” This means that someone who typically talks fast is not a symptom of a manic episode but is considered a symptom when someone who usually talks slowly suddenly talks very fast.

Often, people in a manic episode talk too fast and have pressured speech. This means that most of the time, it will be hard for you to keep up with what they are saying since they tend to eat their words since it is not their usual tone or mode of speech.

3. Easily Distracted

Clang associations are common for people in manic episodes. Clang associations are using or getting amused by rhyming words or words that sound the same. This is different from poetry since they often do not convey a certain story or have a purpose, and it is usually out of character for the person.

Aside from that, their flight of ideas becomes very difficult to follow. Often, it isn’t easy to maintain a logical flow of ideas or hold a conversation with the person since they often end up jumping from one idea to another without finishing the previous thought.

4. Grandiosity and Delusion

Grandiosity is an exaggerated sense of power, knowledge, or identity. Saying things like, “I am the king of the world,” or “Taylor Swift is in love with me.” are a few examples of the mix of delusion and grandeur. Most of the time, it seems rashly impossible but also something that radiates that they have immense power or control over something.

5. Hypersexuality and Risky Behavior

Increased desire for sex is a manic symptom. Looking for sex workers, going to pornographic websites or books, seeking out sexual partners, and the like are common manic symptoms if these behaviors are often out of character.

Overspending, gambling, jumping off cliffs, quitting their job, doing something too crazy that the person would not normally do is often manic symptom. Risky behaviors that are out of character or new are a more prominent symptom that may often alert caretakers that a manic episode is happening. Moreover, it is also related to hostility towards others. Aggressive behavior towards others, especially when they do not react that way, are also considered manic symptoms.