What is a manic episode?
A manic episode is a discrete, recognizable psychiatric state that is often a medical emergency. It is characterized by severe alterations in mood consisting of euphoria, expansiveness, irritability and, sometimes, severe depression. In addition, people who are manic may have racing thoughts and speak very quickly in an uninterrupted fashion. Their behavior is characterized by increased activity, diminished sleep, a tendency to be distracted, engaging in many activities at once and disorganization. Mania can occasionally become so severe that it is accompanied by psychotic symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations and very disorganized thinking, similar to schizophrenia. In addition, people in manic episodes can be very impulsive and occasionally violent. Often, unfortunately, they have little insight into their behavior during the throes of an actual manic episode.
