Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder that currently ranks sixth among all medical disorders. It is characterized by changes in mood, with alternating low emotional episodes (depression) and high emotional episodes (mania or hypomania).
There are different types of bipolar disorder, such as type I (presence of manic symptoms, with or without the existence of depressive or hypomanic episodes), type II (episodes of major depression followed by hypomanic episodes), cyclothymic disorder (various periods in a row of mild hypomania and depression), or other diseases, such as Cushing’s disease, multiple sclerosis, or those induced by certain medications or drugs, which can cause the same symptoms.
In depressive episodes, the patient may feel sad, discouraged and unmotivated to continue with their normal life. However, manic or hypomanic episodes, although the symptoms of hypomania are less severe than those of mania, are characterized by feeling a extreme euphoria and vitality for no apparent reason. In this Psychology-Online article we will explain what exactly hypomania is, its symptoms, causes and treatment.
What is hypomania?
Hypomania, as defined by Ernst Mendel (1839-1907), is a mild intensity mania. It is not a disorder in itself, since it is a manifestation of bipolar disorder and is characterized by suffering from a decompensation of mood in which states of excitement, euphoria, insomnia and acceleration of thought.
These episodes are mild and less intense than manic episodes since patients do not suffer psychotic symptoms or changes in behavior, therefore, the consequences in daily life are not suffered as much. In this state, patients feel with higher self-esteem, more elated, more creative, they do not need sleep or sleep only a few hours, there may be an increase in the consumption of narcotic substances, and they may often appear irritable.
Symptoms of hypomania
For a state of hypomania to be considered as such, its duration, such as minimumit must be four days and this state must last practically all day. Next, we will present the most frequent symptoms of hypomania, as they appear in the DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).
- Feelings of greatness or increased self-esteem.
- Decreased sleep (they may need to sleep only 3 hours).
- Verbiage (a lot of need to talk all the time).
- Flight of ideas or subjective experience that your thoughts are going at great speed.
- Distractions very frequent when faced with irrelevant external stimuli.
- Increased activity social, work, school or sexual or psychomotor agitation.
- Excessive involvement in high risk activitiessuch as gambling or uncontrolled purchases.
These symptoms must be considered by other people in the patient’s environment as abnormal and atypical behaviors and not be related to the effects caused by different substances, such as medications or drugs.
Difference between mania and hypomania
The main difference between a manic episode and a hypomanic episode is the intensity of the symptoms and the impact on the person’s daily life.
- The symptoms tend to be the same, but mania, compared to hypomania, causes more difficulties in the social, work and academic life of those who suffer from it since its symptoms are more severe.
- Mania usually occurs in bipolar I disorder and can cause psychotic symptoms (disconnection from reality), significant general malaise and, in more severe cases, hospital admission may be required. The hypomaniaHowever, it is related to bipolar disorder type II and cyclothymic disorder. In these articles you will find more information about the and the .
Causes of hypomania?
According to various research, it has been observed that there are different genetic, environmental and biological factors that can influence the appearance of hypomania.
There is a high genetic component when it comes to whether or not you suffer from this mental illness since various studies have concluded that there may be more than one member diagnosed with bipolar disorder in the same family. The , which belongs to the , is responsible for regulating our mood and, as there is a genetic predisposition, it could be affected.
The environmental factors such as suffering from a high level of stress, experiencing episodes of violence, the appearance of a traumatic life event or lack of sleep could help the disease develop and, therefore, the mood to be altered.
He substance use such as alcohol or other drugs and certain medications, can help this disorder appear. Specifically, the antidepressants They can be the cause of hypomania since they can cause a mood swing.
Treatment of hypomania
The treatment of hypomania can be pharmacological or psychological, although a combination of these two is the most recommended.
Pharmacological
The medications usually prescribed for hypomania are mainly mood stabilizers, such as lithium or antipsychotics, since they have proven to be very effective in treating its symptoms. Other drugs can be used if these medications are not effective; in any case, the doctor will have to prescribe the most appropriate drug for each person, based on their characteristics, previous pathologies and symptoms.
Psychological
In relation to psychological treatment, the cognitive-behavioral approach is the most used, since the patient can be provided with tools to cope with the symptoms, using relaxation techniques, breathing techniques, and individual and group therapies. But other psychological therapies can also be carried out, such as client-centered therapy or rational emotive therapy, which have also proven to be effective. Here you will find more information about the.
It is very important to eat healthy, exercise regularly and rest well since, having a good habits and taking care of yourself can help you cope better and reduce the intensity of your symptoms.
Taking into account that bipolar disorder is a chronic disease, both the symptoms and changes in mood can be controlled through the treatments discussed above. In this way, people who suffer from it will be able to have better functioning and quality of life.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Hypomania: what it is, symptoms, causes and treatmentwe recommend that you enter our category.
Bibliography
- American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Washington, D.C.
- Betancourt, Y., Martínez, O. and Montalván, O. (2019). Bipolar disorder. Clinical and epidemiological considerations. Electronic Medical Journal, 41(2), 467-482.
- De la Torre, MJ (2009). Pharmacological treatment of bipolar disorder. Applied psychopharmacology course notes2-32.