A Manic Episode
Manic episodes
may begin with what is experienced as an improvement or upward shift in
mood. You may feel more energetic, more able to concentrate and focus,
and may find that you can work better and more productively. In the
early stages of a manic episode, the you might feel quite euphoric
(i.e., unusually happy or feelings of unusual content). A decreased need
for sleep at the outset of a manic episode is very common. You may be up
for days on end and still feel energetic, or you may awaken several
hours earlier than usual.
As the episode
progresses, thoughts and speech both seem to race. Ideas in your head
jump from one topic to another in a dizzying jumble (this is what mental
health professionals may refer to as "flight of ideas"), and the speech
becomes even more rapid (or what mental health professionals call
"pressured"). You may feel like talking for hours on end. In a more
severe form, speech may become totally incoherent.
The initial
increased sense of well-being brings with it an increased sense of
confidence, but as your episode progresses, your judgment becomes
impaired. You may begin to believe that they can accomplish things that
they cannot realistically accomplish or otherwise engage in grandiose
thinking.
A personal
story about someone experiencing a manic episode.: A man decided to do
some home remodeling. He had no home remodeling skills or tools,
however. Shortly into the project, he decided to pull down the entire
ceiling in his living room, so he punched a hole in it with his fist and
began ripping down the entire thing with his bare hands. He also ripped
down several walls. By the time anyone could stop him, he had done
thousands upon thousands of dollars worth of damage to his home,
professional contractors had to be called in, a dumpster hired to cart
away all the plaster and debris.
Someone in a
severely manic state is in as much danger as an individual with major
depression. Overly confident (and having grandiose thoughts), there is
an excess of what are usually thought of as "approach behaviors."
Anything the that you might seek out while in normal mood (such as sex,
alcohol or drugs, or excitement) becomes magnified. Wild spending sprees
or impulsive purchases are not uncommon, nor are impulsive marriages or
major commitments.
As with
depression, in severe mania, an individual might experience
hallucinations. With or without hallucinations, however, individuals in
severely manic states had a significant mortality rate until doctors
began treating it. In some cases, death was accidental, but related to
the risk-taking or impulsive behaviors. In other cases, patients died of
dehydration (they might neglect to eat and drink in their manic state)
or cardiovascular collapse as the body couldn't keep up with increased
psychomotor agitation and 'racing.'
Finding
treatment for mood swings, depression, mania and/or bipolar depression
is essential to feeling better.