The mania it is a psychological condition in which the person presents an abnormally high arousal state. During the time it lasts, the affected person will feel more powerful emotions, will have a higher level of activity, and their self-confidence will be momentarily elevated..
Mania is generally considered to be the opposite state of depression. However, this is not to say that it is something positive: being also an extreme, it can cause all kinds of problems in the lives of the people who have it. In the most severe cases, delusions and paranoia can even appear.
In many cases, mania and depression appear together in what is known as bipolar disorder. However, this altered state is also related to many other disorders; and it can occur in isolation. In DSM - 5, the latest diagnostic manual for mental illness, it is classified according to its severity.
Mania can be especially dangerous when it appears with delusions of grandeur. If someone experiences one of these episodes, they will tend to put themselves in danger and act in ways that cause long-term problems. Therefore, it is essential to understand this disorder to be able to detect it in time when it occurs..
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Next we will see the different symptoms and diagnostic criteria of an episode of mania.
The first indicator of mania is a sharp change in the emotional state of the person. According to DSM - 5, there must be an abnormally and persistently elevated mood, which is presented with high levels of irritability or energy. In addition, it is also necessary that the subject's usual activity increases..
In order to be considered an episode of mania, this mood alteration has to last at least one week and be present during practically every day of the week, at almost all hours..
In addition to the emotional disturbance present in episodes of mania, people with this problem also have changes in the way they act.
These symptoms are also the ones that usually bring the greatest problems to individuals who suffer from them, although some of them may seem harmless at first glance..
Thus, among other things, a person suffering from an episode of mania will not need to sleep as many hours as usual to feel rested. In addition, she will act like someone very important, and will become much more talkative than usual..
These two symptoms together cause someone in mania to try to control the conversations they have as much as possible. However, he will do it in a disorganized way, as he will feel as if his ideas are faster than his tongue (a phenomenon known as “brain drain”)..
In addition, the person in a manic episode will tend to increase their activity to achieve some of their goals. These can be of a social, economic, sexual, labor nature ...
Finally, in general, someone who suffers from an episode of mania will perform many more risky behaviors than usual. This is the symptom that can bring more problems, since it can have very serious consequences for the economy, health, relationships or even the physical integrity of the patient.
Finally, one of the most important diagnostic criteria is that the changes produced in the person must cause problems in their day-to-day life. These problems can be of a very different nature, and will vary depending on each individual..
In some cases, for example, the person may behave in ways that lead to the deterioration of some of their social relationships. In others, the symptoms of mania would cause the individual to lose their job or have problems in it.
During the most serious episodes, the person would have to be hospitalized to avoid harming himself or others. This is especially true on occasions when mania occurs alongside psychotic-like symptoms..
Little is really known about why some people experience manic episodes. However, there are several known factors that can favor its appearance. In this section we will see some of them.
Manic episodes generally tend to appear after a person is in a depressed mood. Some studies have linked this alteration to medications that try to avoid the most serious symptoms of depression.
Thus, for example, depending on the research observed, it is considered that there is between 10 and 70% of probabilities of going from depression to mania when taking antidepressants. This is especially true in the case of benzodiazepines, one of the most commonly used types of medication in these cases..
On the other hand, dopaminergics (drugs that make the brain produce more dopamine or make better use of what it has) also seem to produce a greater risk of going from a depressive to a manic state.
Certain life conditions and events have been shown to be related to mania in some way. Thus, its presence does not necessarily imply that a person will develop this mental disorder; but the odds that it will do so increase with them.
One of the factors most related to manic episodes is sleep. According to the latest research on the subject, having an irregular sleep pattern or sleeping much less hours than usual could be key in the appearance of this mood disorder.
On the other hand, some illnesses and physical problems could also trigger a manic episode. Among other things, this disorder occurs relatively commonly after a stroke. This is especially true if the stroke affects the right hemisphere..
In the event that this problem has exclusively physical causes, it is known as secondary mania.
Several genes have been linked to both bipolar disorder and mania. Its manipulation in animal studies has allowed a better understanding of the brain function of these two states.
For example, parts of the brain such as glutamate receptors, the pituitary, and the subthalamic nucleus have been strongly associated with the occurrence of manic episodes..
Therefore, it is believed that some people may have an innate tendency to develop this disorder; although environmental factors may be required to trigger it.
Before beginning treatment for mania, psychiatrists must be able to rule out any other causes for altered moods and unusual behaviors. This is because, in general, all interventions will require the use of psychotropic drugs..
Thus, during an acute episode of mania, the person will have to take either a mood stabilizer (such as lithium or valproate), or an atypical antipsychotic. In the most severe cases, it is very common that both types of drugs have to be used at the same time.
However, the use of these medications will only serve to eliminate some of the more acute symptoms of mania. Once a person has suffered several episodes, it is extremely likely that they will present them again throughout their life.
Therefore, long-term approaches have to focus more on prevention than on completely eliminating mania. Today we do not know an effective method to prevent these episodes from recurring, but we can reduce both their frequency and intensity.
In most cases, mania prevention treatments will focus on three areas: medication, psychological therapy, and lifestyle..
Generally, patients diagnosed with mania will have to take a mood stabilizer for their entire lives. The most used for these cases is lithium, although there are many more.
However, this medicine does not always work. For this reason, research continues on which psychotropic drugs can be used to replace it..
Several studies have shown that the most effective approach to combat mania is to combine medications with therapy. Thus, a psychologist can help patients to cope with their symptoms and reduce their intensity..
Among other things, therapy will teach the person to better control their mood. In addition, it will equip you with coping strategies for when your emotions get out of control. This will tend to avoid many of the more serious problems of mania..
Lastly, mania has been linked to overall physical and brain health. Therefore, it has been discovered that factors such as exercise and a healthy diet can help combat it. Thus, patients with a mood disorder will benefit from introducing new healthy habits into their lives..
Another factor that reduces the severity of mania is the presence of a strong social circle. For this reason, on many occasions psychologists work with the patient so that he can improve his relationships.
All of these actions must be worked on at the same time to achieve the best results. Done well, the person with mania may be able to lead a normal and enjoyable life..
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