According to the Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy, mania is a “kind of madness, characterized by general delirium, agitation and a tendency to rage”, but it also defines it as “extravagance, capricious concern for a subject or thing”; “Disordered affection or desire” and, colloquially, “resent someone or have a mania.” Due to this diversity of uses, we find many manias in our daily behaviors and in those of the people around us.
However, for psychiatry, it is a syndrome or clinical picture, which is usually episodic, characterized by psychomotor excitement derived from an exaltation of self-awareness. That is, it is the state of mind opposed to depression in which, in addition to abnormal euphoria and excessive humor, too much joy, uninhibited behavior and even increased self-esteem can occur that can reach an ideation close to the delusions of greatness.
As with depression, mania can be triggered by internal factors of the person such as a genetic predisposition or a biochemical imbalance of brain neurotransmitters, or external factors such as lack of sleep, use of stimulating substances, lack of sunlight or lack of some vitamins.
The treatment of manic episodes can only be done under diagnosis, prescription and medical follow-up that will assess the need to use medications to stabilize mood. Early detection of key symptoms is vitally important. In addition, preventive measures can be adopted avoiding risk factors of external origin, for this it is important to sleep the right hours, not consume stimulants or any type of drugs and have a healthy lifestyle.
Symptoms
- High loquacity
- Accelerated chatter
- Loss of thread of argumentation
- Excitement
- Hypersensitivity
- Incoherence
- Feelings of greatness
- Feeling of invulnerability
- Loss of risk assessment
- Disproportionate spending of money
Treatment
- Hospital admissions
- Pharmacotherapy
- Prevention measures to avoid relapses
- Medical monitoring