MANIA: IS IT WRONG TO BE HAPPY?

Mania is a mental health condition that can cause a person to experience episodes of unreasonable euphoria, intense moods, and hyperactivity. In this period, a person feels excited or experiences an energized mood, which can last for days to weeks and even months. [1] Mania is often associated with Bipolar Disorder, a mental illness affecting about 4.5 million people worldwide. The disorder is characterized by periods of mood swings ranging from depressive lows to manic highs. [2]

The unique hallmark of the illness is mania, which is characterized by elevated mood or euphoria, overactivity with a lack of need for sleep, and overconfidence which impairs judgment.

The depressive lows may include symptoms such as low energy, low motivation, and loss of interest in daily activities. The mood episodes can last days to months at a time and may also be linked with psychosis and suicidal thoughts.

There are mainly two types of mania: Organic mania and Bipolar Disorder (Primary Idiopathic Mania)

Organic mania can be used to describe mania that is outside any psychiatric disorder. It consists of continuous irritability and elevated mood. It usually develops in people older than 35, while Bipolar Disorder starts between adolescence and the age of 25. [3]

Symptoms of mania

The symptoms of mania are:

1. Hyperactivity: People experiencing an episode suddenly have a confidence boost and suddenly want to do a lot of things, most of which are unusual.