Episodes of hypomania may warrant a diagnosis of bipolar II disorder if the person is also having episodes of depression. Hypomania causes symptoms of mania that are not severe enough to be considered a manic episode.
Another psychiatric condition that causes hypomanic episodes is cyclothymic disorder. In cyclothymic disorder, the person must have numerous hypomanic episodes for at least two years.
The symptoms of hypomania include an abnormally irritable or elevated mood that lasts for at least four days. The mood disturbance and other symptoms of mania must last for at least a week or be severe enough to require hospitalization for the symptoms to be considered evidence of a manic episode.
The person must experience at least three additional symptoms of mania during this period of an abnormally elevated mood or four or more for an irritable mood for it to be considered a hypomanic episode. Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity and distractibility are two of the possible symptoms of mania that someone may experience during a hypomanic episode.
Possible symptoms of mania include a decreased need for sleep, increased talkativeness, and racing thoughts. The decreased need for sleep can cause the person to sleep much less than usual, often as little as three hours a day, without a resulting fatigue or tiredness.
An episode of hypomania can cause the person to become preoccupied with goal-oriented behavior. During a hypomanic episode, a considerable amount of time and energy may be spent in pursuit of social, work-related, or personal goals.
A person having a hypomanic episode may have unusual behavior that is pleasurable without regard to the consequences. Drug use, sexual promiscuity, and excessive spending are common types of behavior that may be unusual for the individual, but may be a frequent activity for the person during a hypomanic episode.
The symptoms of a hypomanic episode must be severe enough to cause a change in functioning that is observable. However, the change in functioning must not cause a significant impairment in social or occupational functioning.
The hypomania may be reclassified as a manic episode if the symptoms become severe enough to cause an occupational or social impairment or the symptoms persist for more than a week. Since the defining symptom of bipolar I disorder is the presence of a manic episode, the diagnosis may change from cyclothymic disorder or bipolar II disorder to bipolar I disorder.
