Manic episodes can be highly disruptive and significantly impact a person’s life. Sometimes, these episodes can lead to psychosis, during which a person loses touch with reality. For this reason, a person struggling with manic episode symptoms must get help from a mental health treatment center.
These episodes can be detrimental to relationships, school, work, and home life, and their impact differs for each person. But what does a manic episode look like? How long does a manic episode last? To learn more about manic episodes and find help for you or a loved one, call 844.875.5609 to reach Promises Behavioral Health.
What Are Manic Episodes?
Manic episodes are periods of abnormally high energy, mood, and activity levels. These periods are persistent and, together with periods of depression, are often symptoms of bipolar disorder.
A manic episode can lead to reckless behavior, poor judgment, financial problems, and even injury to oneself or another person. Substance use, reckless driving, and expensive spending sprees may all signal manic behavior.
How long does a manic episode last? For an instance to be classified as an actual manic episode, it must last at least one week and be present almost daily. Episodes are characterized by euphoria and excitement but may also be represented by unusual irritability.
What Does a Manic Episode Look Like?
Manic episode symptoms vary from one person to another and also from one episode to another. However, several manic episode symptoms are relatively common:
- Grandiose ideas
- A sharply reduced need for sleep
- Extremely elevated mood
- Racing thoughts
- Increased talkativeness
- Heightened distractability
- Poor judgment
- Risky and impulsive behavior
In addition, some people experience delusions and hallucinations during manic episodes. Delusions are beliefs that are not correct or real; a person has delusions when they believe something despite evidence to the contrary. Hallucinations involve seeing, tasting, smelling, hearing, or feeling things that are not there. When a person experiences hallucinations or delusions, they also experience a loss of contact with reality, which is the definition of psychosis.
What Can Cause Manic Episode Symptoms?
The exact cause of manic episodes and bipolar disorder is unknown. However, several factors are thought to trigger manic episode symptoms in people who have bipolar disorder:
- A lack of sleep
- Medical problems
- Substance use
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Arguments with others
- Medication changes
- High levels of stress
If a person with bipolar disorder experiences a significant, impactful life change, such as going through a divorce, moving, losing their job, or experiencing the death of a loved one, a manic episode can result.
Seasonal changes can also be mania triggers. About 20% of people with bipolar disorder experience mood changes when the weather turns. They are also more likely to experience seasonal depression during the winter and mania during the spring or summer.
Treatment for a Manic Episode
Every person who has manic episodes has unique needs; therefore, the best treatment programs are customized for clients on a person-by-person basis. Treatment can successfully help manage symptoms and increase a client’s quality of life—not just for the client but also for those around them.
Various treatment methods are available to help those with manic episode symptoms. Some of the most effective include:
- Group therapy
- Family therapy
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Medication management
With a personalized combination of treatments, someone who suffers from manic episodes can uncover the underlying causes of their mood disorder and learn ways to manage it.
Manage Manic Episodes with Promises Behavioral Health
Our mood disorder treatment center provides the tools, support, and treatment you or a loved one needs to overcome triggers of manic episodes and take back control of the condition. Contact Promises today at 844.875.5609 to learn more.