Symptoms Of Manic Episodes

The symptoms of manic episodes are described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) which is used for diagnosing mental illnesses. If a person has a manic episode as described by the DSM, the person is likely to be diagnosed with bipolar I disorder.

Manic episodes cause either an elevated mood or an irritable mood. In order to be considered a true manic episode, the abnormally elevated or irritable mood of manic episodes must either be present for at least one week or be severe enough to require hospitalization.

For the mood disturbance to be considered a manic episode, the elevated mood must be accompanied by three other symptoms of mania. If the person has an irritable mood, there must be four other mania symptoms during the mood disturbance for it to me considered a manic episode.

Grandiosity or elevated self-esteem is a possible symptom of mania. During manic episodes, people often need less sleep than usual. The person may only sleep a few hours and not feel tired.

Being talkative is a symptom of mania. A manic episode may cause racing thoughts which is observable by others as a flight of ideas.

Another symptom of manic episodes is distractibility. The person may be easily distracted and have difficulty focusing. A possible symptom of mania is an increased involvement in goal-oriented activities.

The last symptom of manic episodes is excessive participation in pleasurable activities without regard to the possible consequences. The person may be promiscuous, have excessive spending, or do other things that they would not normally do to the extent that they do them during the manic episode.

Manic episodes can cause psychotic episodes. The psychotic symptoms of hallucinations or delusions from a manic episode are related to the grandiosity the person may be experiencing. For example, the person may believe that they have been chosen by God for some special task.

For these symptoms to be called a manic episode, they must be severe enough to interfere with the persons ability to function. Symptoms are not considered manic episodes if they are caused by drug use, medication, or caused by a medical condition.