What Is Mania in Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder, sometimes called manic depression, affects nearly 6 million American adults, or about 2.5% of the adult population. Most people with this disorder swing from depression to manic states.

And who wouldn't like to experience this effect? One of the reasons some people with bipolar disorder don't like the mood-flattening medication is that they miss this perk, which almost always ends with a corresponding depression.

We're not saying this guy has mania, but some people with bipolar disorder do experience a heightened mood and super self-confidence during their "highs."

Road rage can happen to anyone. However, sufferers of bipolar disorder will almost certainly experience excessive irritability or aggressive behavior during manic phases.

We're not talking garden variety insomnia here. People with bipolar disorder sometimes experience a decreased need for sleep without fatigue during their manic phases, and feel much more productive.

It's fine to have high self-esteem, but during a manic phase people with bipolar disorder sometimes experience grandiose thoughts and an inflated sense of self-importance.

You know how some people talk and think so fast you can hardly follow what they are saying? During a manic phase, people with bipolar disorder sometimes experience racing speech, racing thoughts, and a flight of ideas.

Experts who deal with people with bipolar disorder tell incredible tales of risk-taking during the manic phase, from inappropriate sexual behavior to stealing cars. Impulsiveness, poor judgment, and distractibility are all hallmarks of mania.

We're not implying here that this streaker is bipolar, but people with bipolar disorder can display reckless behavior during a manic phase. They lack the internal censor that tells healthy people how to curb their actions.

In the most severe cases, people with bipolar disorder can experience delusions and hallucinations.

Source: Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance