Sunday 2 August 2009

Symptoms Of Manic Episodes

By Sheila Wilson

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.

An elevated mood requires three other manic symptoms during the mood disturbance to be considered a manic episode. The presence of irritability needs to have four other manic symptoms to constitute 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.

Someone having a manic episode is often more talkative than usual. Another symptom of mania is racing thoughts or a flight of ideas. This symptom is often noticeable to other people.

The person may become more involved in goal-oriented activities during a manic episode. Another symptom of mania is difficulty focusing or distractibility.

Many problems that a person has during a manic episode are associated with the last symptom of mania which is an increased involvement of pleasurable activities without considering the consequences. Someone in a manic episode may spend money excessively or become promiscuous due to that symptom.

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.

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