Mania: Symptoms, Associated Disorders And Treatment
Many people associate the word mania with the presence of strange and prototypical habits of a person, who tends to repeat them relatively frequently. However, there are many fewer people who know that the concept of mania also has another meaning, which as a general rule is what we are referring to when we are talking about psychopathologies.
And it is that mania is also a mood disorder, being, together with depression, one of the main alterations that are part of bipolar disorder and which, like this, represents a serious alteration, discomfort and limitation in the person’s life. It is about this type of emotional state that we are going to talk about throughout this article, defining it and visualizing its basic definition, in what contexts it appears and how it is usually treated.
Mania is understood as a psychological alteration characterized by the presence of a mood excessively euphoric, expansive and concurrent with a high level of energy It is a pathological and temporary state that can appear in various contexts and usually appears in the form of episodes lasting at least a week almost every day and most of the day.
These episodes are characterized by the presence of the aforementioned expansive, euphoric and irritable mood, which usually appears together with a high level of restlessness and agitation that manifests itself through hyperactive behavior. Generally the person has the sensation that his thoughts are passing at high speed it is not unusual for the train of thought to be lost in the face of the great influx of these.
The subject in the manic phase also suffers from a high level of distractibility, having great difficulty concentrating and continually moving from one thing to another. They also appear in this state thoughts and delusions of greatness and genius, considering the subject often invulnerable and with unlimited resources. Likewise, it is common for high impulsivity and aggressiveness to appear, while the capacity for judgment and risk assessment decreases, often leading to the performance of acts that may pose a risk to one’s health or integrity. They also tend to try to get involved in a large number of projects regardless of their viability.
It is common for fights and conflicts to appear both socially and at work or even in the family and/or couple, thus large financial waste (regardless of their economic capacity), hypersexuality (often taking risks) and sometimes even drug consumption. substances that can worsen your condition (for example cocaine).
It is also not uncommon for hallucinations and delusions to appear, interpreting reality based on them and reacting aggressively. Finally, it should be noted that often the behavioral alterations experienced make hospitalization of the subject necessary in order to stabilize it.
Contexts of appearance
The appearance of manic episodes is generally associated with the presence of bipolar disorder. In fact, one of the most common types of bipolar disorder known, bipolar disorder type 1, requires only at least a manic episode not derived from drug use or medical illnesses to be diagnosed, not actually requiring the appearance of a depressive episode.
But bipolar disorder is not the only context in which a manic episode or behavior can appear. And mania can also appear derived from the effects of the consumption of different drugs or substances, as a result of intoxication. Likewise, some infections and diseases that have an effect on the brain can also lead to the presence of manic symptoms. Among them may also be some dementias or infections such as encephalitis.
Furthermore also can appear in other mental disorders, an example of this being some psychotic disorders. Specifically, schizoaffective disorder stands out, which has a subtype called bipolar in which episodes of mania also occur.
Generally, mania is a consequence of the presence of a neurochemical or functional alteration of the brain, whether caused by some toxic or drug or by atypical functioning typical of some type of disorder or disease. Occasionally it can also be observed that in some cases manic symptoms may appear in situations of high psychosocial stress.
The existence of a manic episode or phase usually has severe repercussions for those who suffer from them. At a social level it is frequent, as we have seen that there are conflicts or even verbal or physical fights especially with strangers.
It is also common for problems to arise with the close environment or with the couple such as conflicts, arguments, accusations or infidelities, and these problems can have repercussions even after the episode ends. Furthermore also It is common for the environment not to understand the subject’s actions or that this is due to an alteration in the state of mind beyond their control.
At work, the presence of conflicts is not uncommon, as well as a loss of productivity derived from excess energy and distractibility.
At an economic level, it is common for them to be carried out, as we have seen. large excesses, often as a result of impulses or to purchase unnecessary products The risks they may commit can cause the subject to suffer various mishaps, such as work accidents, falls and trauma, poisoning or substance abuse, contagion of sexually transmitted diseases or infections, or unwanted pregnancies. Likewise, on some occasions people in a manic phase can even carry out illegal acts or become involved in criminal activities.
The high level of activation of the subject and his behavioral alterations often mean that some type of hospitalization is required in order to stabilize him. usually through pharmacological treatment
Mania vs hypomania: a question of degree
Mania is a psychological disorder of an emotional nature that can have serious repercussions on the life of those who suffer from it. However, there is another concept that assumes the existence of practically identical symptoms and with which it is very easy to confuse mania: hypomania.
As we can deduce from the name, hypomania is a somewhat less extreme version of mania, also appearing an expansive, euphoric mood with a high level of agitation and energy. The main difference between mania and hypomania is in the intensity with which the symptoms occur.
Although hypomania involves an alteration of mood that is perceptible to the environment and can also have repercussions for the subject, symptoms are less severe and neither delusions nor hallucinations usually appear. Likewise, they generally do not prevent the subject from having functionality in their daily life and hospitalization of the patient is not usually necessary. Finally, hypomanic episodes last much shorter than manic episodes: they generally last between four days and a week.
Treatment of mania
Treatment of manic episodes is usually based on the administration of some type of euthymizer, that is, a type of drug that stabilizes the mood. Lithium salts are generally used for this purpose, although there are also other options. In some cases it may also be necessary to apply antipsychotic drugs.
In the event that its appearance is due to poisoning, it will be necessary to treat this fact differently. The same occurs in the case of infections, which must be treated in order to reduce or eliminate the symptoms. In disorders such as bipolar or schizoaffective bipolar type, depending on the case and especially if there are characteristics that represent a medical emergency (such as the appearance of suicidal behavior) or the drugs are not effective, it may be recommended. the application of electroconvulsive therapy in a hospital
In addition to this, it is common for psychological therapy to be used (once stabilized at a pharmacological level), in order to be able to detect prodromes or symptoms that warn of the arrival of an episode. Psychoeducation and control of social and circadian rhythms (including sleep and eating schedules) can also be helpful.
