Manic episodes, often linked to bipolar disorder, stem from a mix of genetics, brain chemistry, and environmental triggers like high stress, lack of sleep, and major life changes, with substance use and certain medications also playing roles, often causing neurotransmitter imbalances that disrupt mood regulation. These episodes are essentially periods of unusually elevated or irritable mood, increased energy, and activity, often preceded or accompanied by stressful events or sleep deprivation in predisposed individuals.
Read on to learn how to get out of a manic episode.
Sleep disruptions
Individuals with bipolar disorder might begin to experience the onset of manic symptoms after just a few nights of significantly reduced sleep. Be careful: For some, even missing a single night's sleep can lead to noticeable changes in mood and energy levels, pushing them closer to mania.
These are some possible causes of hypomania or mania: High levels of stress. Changes in sleep patterns or lack of sleep. Using recreational drugs or alcohol.
Symptoms of a manic episode
Having an abnormally high level of activity or energy. Feeling extremely happy or excited — even euphoric. Not sleeping or only getting a few hours of sleep but still feeling rested. Having inflated self-esteem, thinking you're invincible.
Bipolar Disorder: Helping Someone During a Manic Episode
The first red flag of bipolar disorder often appears as significant changes in sleep patterns (insomnia or oversleeping), dramatic shifts in mood (intense irritability, euphoria, or deep sadness), and increased energy or agitation, often accompanied by racing thoughts, impulsivity (like risky spending), or severe fatigue and loss of interest during depressive phases, with these shifts differing greatly from typical mood swings and often impacting daily functioning.
The main mental illnesses which mimic bipolar mania are schizophrenia, severe anxiety, severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, or major depressive disorder with psychotic features. Any mixed mood disorder should be in the differential for bipolar disorder, especially when psychosis is present.
Ignoring a person with bipolar disorder can escalate their mood swings and trigger their negative emotions. It can be harmful to a person and your relationship with that person. This is because such a person might experience frequent changes in emotional stability.
Five key signs of bipolar disorder involve extreme mood shifts, including manic/hypomanic symptoms like inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, racing thoughts, high energy/activity, and impulsive behaviors (spending/sex), alongside depressive symptoms such as persistent sadness, loss of interest, fatigue, and sleep/appetite changes, creating significant life disruption.
Only 22.5 % recognized that they had experienced a (hypo)manic episode, only 17.5 % had consulted a health professional for a (hypo)manic episode, and only 12.5 % remembered having received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and had received minimally adequate treatment.
The duration of bipolar episodes can vary widely. On average: Manic or Hypomanic Episodes: These can last from a few days to several weeks. Hypomanic episodes are generally shorter and less severe than manic episodes.
A manic breakdown or episode is an emotional state where an elevated or irritable mood exists for at least one week. The symptoms can disrupt your daily life and relationships. While manic episodes are not a disorder in themselves, they may be a symptom of bipolar and should be taken seriously.
You can use a 48 hour rule where you wait at least 2 full days with 2 nights sleep before acting on risky decisions. Review your decision to avoid a tempting, but risky, behaviour.
Manic and hypomanic episodes include three or more of these symptoms:
Unmedicated Bipolar Disorder
Difficulty in maintaining relationships due to unpredictable behavior and mood swings. Increased risk for legal troubles due to impulsive and risky decision-making while in a manic state. Reduced ability to hold down a job or complete educational goals.
“The best advice I can give to anyone who's loved one is going through mania is to watch their behavior, spend more time with them, try to let them get out all their hyped-up feelings and listen to them, don't make faces that they're crazy or anything.” – Karen R.
Bipolar ghosting happens when a person with bipolar disorder cuts off contact suddenly. This behavior can cause confusion, grief, and fear in others. It often stems from mood changes, emotional stress, or overwhelming anxiety. A mental health professional may explain that ghosting is not always intentional.
At the outset, bipolar symptoms are commonly mistaken for ADHD, depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, and, in its more severe manifestations, as schizophrenia. That's because the first symptoms of this disorder are unusually varied.
How many hours should a bipolar person sleep? People should try to sleep at least 7 hours per night, regardless of whether they have a condition such as bipolar disorder.
An overabundance or lack of dopamine can lead to neuropsychiatric conditions, such as mania, depression and Parkinson's disease. In bipolar disorder, excess dopamine has been linked to manic episodes, which can lead to feelings of euphoria, anger, irritability, extreme happiness or aggression.
Five key signs of bipolar disorder involve extreme mood shifts, including manic/hypomanic symptoms like inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, racing thoughts, high energy/activity, and impulsive behaviors (spending/sex), alongside depressive symptoms such as persistent sadness, loss of interest, fatigue, and sleep/appetite changes, creating significant life disruption.
Avoid Arguing or Raising Your Voice
Raising your voice or engaging in heated arguments with someone who has bipolar disorder can make the situation worse. During a manic episode, emotions are already heightened, and a raised tone or confrontation can escalate conflict and make it harder to manage.
But what is often not so apparent is the lesser-known side of a destructive manic episode: Dysphoric mania. Dysphoria in bipolar disorder is characterized by increased energy and activity, as seen in euphoria, but the mood is dominated by excessive and persistent irritability.