Mania: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment Options

In this disorder, the person suffering from a state of mania has a abnormally euphoric and exalted mood, an excessive humor, which can manifest as euphoria or great irritability and excitability. Very often it is accompanied by ideation close to delusions of grandeur, excessive joy, excitement and uninhibited behavior.

When the episode of abnormally euphoric mood does not interfere with the person's daily life because it is not of sufficient intensity, it is considered hypomania (mild mania).

Very often, episodes of mania and depression occur alternately in the same patient, being classified as «

How is it produced?

As in the case of depression, the origin of mania can be defined internal factors of the person (genetics, biochemistry of brain neurotransmitters) and external factors (influence of the environment in which the person is immersed):

External factors

They are the factors of psychosocial origin, that is, the circumstances to which the patient is exposed by living in the society that welcomes him: lack of sleep, the use of stimulant substances, some diseases or vitamin deficiencies, lack of sunlight or Periods of excessive euphoria in society, which can be contagious, can cause a person with special susceptibility to develop a picture of mania or hypomania.

Internal factors

They can be genetic or biological:

• Genetic factors: there are cases of familial aggregation of mood disorders, that suggest the possibility of an inherited genetic makeup that could predispose to the disease. Some genetic research seems to support this hypothesis.
• biological factors: in the cases of mania, in parallel to the cases of depression, the existence of changes in the concentrations of some neurotransmitters at the synapses between neurons in some parts of the brain. With the pharmacological treatments indicated in each case, the aim is to achieve a rebalancing of these molecules involved in the biochemistry of mania.

Symptoms

In general, the patient is generally accompanied by a relative (the patient does not believe he has any disorder), in high spirits, excited, distracted, very sensitive to criticism and irritable.

Presents a high loquacity, speaks fast and with a continuous speech difficult to interrupt. Very often the content of his speech is incoherent, thoughtless or makes statements difficult to sustain and even makes up words. Often dress extravagantly.

The mania patient commonly has unexplained feelings of greatness (He believes that he is a great investor or entrepreneur and feels invulnerable and invincible in all his activities, etc.), being able to get involved in risky and dangerous actions or activities both for himself and for others; he spends money disproportionately and risks and indebts his entire estate without consistent limits.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of mania and hypomania is fundamentally clinical, through the. The patient has many of the exposed clinical features typical of manic episodes.

It is important, after diagnosis, to try to rule out a etiological diagnosis that could be interrelated: in particular it will be of great interest to rule out systemic diseases and the use of psychotropic or stimulant substances. In these cases, the resolution of the underlying disease will be essential for the resolution of the manic picture.

Treatment

In cases of mania with significant manifestations, it may be necessary to hospitalization for their own protection for a short period of time, until the condition improves.

The drugs indicated in periods of mania are aimed at reducing symptoms and returning brain biochemical parameters to normal.

After the manic phase, prolongation of drug treatment to avoid relapse And, since many patients with manic episodes present other depressive episodes (patients with bipolar disorder), the long-term use of mood stabilizing drugs will be indicated.

Precautionary measures

Prevention of manic episodes is through avoidance of risk factors of external origin (sleep the appropriate hours, avoid the use of stimulants or psychotropic drugs, etc.) and, in cases where an episode of mania has already occurred and is so indicated, maintain a chronic medication to avoid the appearance of new episodes.

Of great importance will also be the early detection of key symptoms that may lead to suspect the appearance of a new manic episode, such as lack of sleep, behavioral disturbances, decreased precautions in daily life or in business, a tendency to irritability, carelessness, etc. In cases where a new episode of mania is appearing, early detection will be important for the control of the condition and the administration of treatment before the patient, his patrimony or the people around him can be more in danger.

Family and Community Medicine Specialist Master in Clinical Gerontology.