Hypomania

Hypomania






Mania and hypomania are integral part of Bipolar Disorder that belongs to psychotic disorder category. Mania is the word used to describe “elevated mood” of the person and Depression is used for “low mood”. Bipolar disorder, literally speaking occurs in two episodes namely manic phase and depressive phase. But in practice most of the people affected with this disorder will be in “depressive” phase rather than in “manic phase”.

Symptoms :

The hypomania can be described by the following signs or symptoms, but not all of these are present in the same person. Hypomania is less severe when compared with mania.

The person will show increased activity and energy level. Flee of thoughts will be racing on his mind and he may not be able to put it in words. He would be seen with high level of confidence and self esteem. The person will be extremely talkative but he will change from one activity to the other thus easily distracted. He will not be able to concentrate in one particular activity. He will not get enough sleep.

One cannot say for sure that the affected person will be in elevated mood for the entire day. Suddenly he may become aggressive showing anger or even violence to others. He will show increased interest for social gathering and might have increased sex drive. He will show interest in pleasurable activities without bothering about the consequences. It is the time when one spends recklessly ignoring the financial commitments or family.

He will lack judgmental skills or balance and he will not accept that his behavior has changed. Most of the time, hypomania will be followed by depressed state of bipolar disorder. Only few of the above symptoms will be displayed by affected person and not all. Some people may not show any symptoms at all.

Causes :

It is difficult to predict exactly what causes mental problems like change in mood or behavior. Usually combination of factors like genetic, environmental and social factors is involved in any psychotic disorder. Hypomania or depression can be caused due to abusive childhood or facing heavy challenges in life. It can be the death of loved ones or your father or mother or sudden loss of job. Your mind will not be ready to accept the condition though you have physically accepted it.

Domestic violence and other stressful events can lead to mental health problems like hypomania. Prolonged influence of alcohol can bring the same effect on some people. Lack of sleep and using substances for long time can also be a reason. People with family history of mania or hypomania have increased risk of getting this disorder.

Diagnoses :

It is not that difficult to diagnose hypomania or mania of a person. The psychologist will closely observe the behavior of the person after collecting his history from his family and friends. He might exhibit some of the above symptoms for a week or even more but he will not be ready to accept that he has some problem. His behavior will not cause any problem in his relationship or workplace and he may not be required to be hospitalized.

There are many kinds and categories of bipolar disorder and it is for the psychiatrist to diagnose the right condition of the patient. Some people ignore to report their depression or excited (manic) behavior to doctors fearing that he/she may be ridiculed. Hiding anything from your doctor will confuse him and he may not be able to give appropriate medications for curing depression.

For some individuals excess of thyroxin hormone can also produce the same reaction and depressive symptoms are caused when thyroid gland is not functioning well. So, your doctor will order for blood culture before starting any treatment.

Treatment :

Bipolar disorder can be managed by effective medications and counseling therapy. But you have to remember that treatment cannot be quick since it takes weeks or even months to change one’s behavior. Apart from taking medications suggested by your doctor you need to make certain lifestyle changes.

Cognitive behavior therapy is the best way to identify the underlying problems in mind. For finding out problems of the past the psychiatrist may use hypnotic therapy and psychotherapy so that he can resolve the issues of past experiences in the patient’s mind.

Drugs that are prescribed for treating bipolar disorder (mania and hypomania) are Zyprexa, Seroquel, and Risperdal. Mood stabilizers like lithium, valporate sodium, cabamazepine and lamictal are given for treating recurrent depression and manic phase.

Lifestyle Changes :

To begin with you have to eat healthy nutritious food. Practice regular exercise and go to bed in time. You need to avoid watching television or working for long hours once you have started taking medicines. You must avoid alcohol and quit smoking. You can join a social club for practicing yoga and meditation.

Do not indulge in new sexual life for short time. You can postpone taking major decisions in life for some months. Talk openly with your friends and family and share your thoughts and feelings. Plenty of self help books and support groups are available. On the whole, treatment for hypomania or mania should be in the combined form of medications, counseling and help from support group.

Hypomania – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

Hypomania – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

What is Hypomania?

Hypomania is actually a frame of mind, behavior, and mood that can show itself as uncommon gaiety, flamboyance, excitement or irritability. Additionally, hypomania is complemented by behaviors such as nonstop talking, restlessness, wild single-mindedness on a single action or being too effortlessly sidetracked, feeling renewed on only a few hours of sleep and/or a number of other indications. The standards for diagnosis for an episode of hypomanic are fairly precise, but the mode the indications act out may vary extensively from one individual to another.

Hypomania Symptoms

For an individual to be identified as hypomanic, very first circumstance is there needs to be an eminent, expansive, persistent or cross mood, additionally unusually and insistently amplified activity for greatest part of the day over at least 4 days. The disposition and action must be obvious by others as well as clearly unrelated from the mode the individual is in when not disheartened. That means there is not only a large dissimilarity to a depressive state but there is also a visible distinction to an average state when you are not having bipolar symptoms. Prior to being identified as having a hypomanic incident, you also have to be having at least 3 of the following symptoms or four if your abnormally continuous mood is only irritable:

• Don’t need abundant sleep


• Having a flight of ideas or feel that mind is racing


• More chatty than normal or feeling burden to keep talking


• Easily distracted


• Driven toward explicit goals – either socially at school or work or sexually – or are undergoing psychomotor agitation


• Magnificent thinking – for instance believing you are superior to anyone else at doing almost any or that you can achieve hard tasks in hours instead of days.


• Becoming extremely involved with pleasant deeds that have a high prospective for painful concerns, such as unrestrained buying sprees, foolish business investments, and sexual indiscretions.

There are also 3 factors that cannot exist in hypomania. These are characteristics of a “manic” episode:

• Signs of psychosis. With hypomania, an individual does not have delusion, hallucinations such as paranoia.


• Signs of hypomania are not so bad as to need hospitalization.


• While hypomania can restrict daily life to some point, the deficit in functioning is not marked. A simple instance is that whereas a hypomanic person may talk an inordinate more than usual at a company meeting, a manic individual might hop on the discussion table and begin loudly singing.

Although the criteria for diagnosis of a hypomanic incident has only seven sets of symptoms together with mood necessities, there are numerous methods hypomanic may show itself. No two individuals will have precisely the same signs and indicators. Here are just a few examples of hypomanic behavior:

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• Hypersexuality, that can take numerous practices for instance creating demands that are unusual on your spouse, making sexual advances that are inappropriate, having affairs or spending a lot of money on sex over the phone, pornography on the internet or prostitutes.


• Unusual excitement, irritability, aggression or hostility


• Inappropriately behaving; for instance making remarks that are crude at a company party


• Recklessly spending, such as buying a new car when you can’t make the payments


• Speaking so quickly that no one can understand you


• Behaving or dressing flamboyantly


• Going from one subject to another unrelated subject while talking to someone


• Taking chances that normally you wouldn’t because you are feeling lucky

Hypomania Causes

Stress, genetics, as well as the hormones estrogen and testosterone are normally the reason for the inequalities that lead to mood swings or mood disorder. Bipolar I affect both males and female alike, with the start of bipolar syndromes before the age of 30 and depressive syndrome over 40. Episodes of hypomanic may be generated by emotional or physical trauma. Without a mood disorder, hypomania may occur because of an illness or illnesses, thyroid problems, cortisol imbalance, sleep apnea, Epilepsy, cancers, infections, tumors, anemia or deficiencies of vitamins.

Hypomania Treatment

The treatment for hypomania differs allowing to the problems severity. For an individual who is not suicidal, not threat to himself or others, not violent, psychiatric outpatient therapy is often advised. But if he is a threat to self or others, there is the need for a hospital stay. This can also include psychoanalysis, medication and exercise.

There are numerous methods to increase the value of life to aid with minimizing bouts of hypomania, Depression or mania as a portion of a mood disorder. It is essential for an individual with hypomania to get good rest each day, keeping an “early-to-bed” and “early-to rise” routine, in order for the body to be better able to do mood regulation. On the other hand, too much sleep or sleeping during the day can cause depressive bouts. Find different methods to manage daily stress, either by relaxation methods, exercise or some combination of both. Refrain or limit alcoholic as well as caffeine consumption and avoid abusing other substances.