Symptoms of Mania
- Overly “happy” or an abnormally elevated mood.
- Excessive energy, restlessness.
- Inflated self-esteem, overconfidence or grandiose thoughts.
- Decreased need for sleep, staying up all night.
- More talkative than usual, taking unusually fast.
- Scattered thoughts, jumping from one topic to another.
- Distractibility, agitation, irritability, short fuse.
- Engaging in risky behavior, such as shopping sprees, reckless gambling, impulsive sex.
Because mania is marked by both euphoria and irritability, people may experience mania as a pleasant experience or unpleasant. People may enjoy the elevated mood and increased productivity, but not the emotional crash that comes after. Some manic episodes involve hallucinations (false or distorted sensory experiences) or delusions (strongly held belief in ideas or experiences that aren’t real or are beyond the realm of possibility). Signs of mania that may involve delusions include:
- Disheveled appearance.
- Wearing unusual clothing.
- Combative or aggressive behavior, without cause.
- Overly vigilant behavior.
- Poor decision-making.