I understand that this is considered a mental health disorder and I’m sure there is a reason why but Mayo Clinic says that mania is characterized by an extremely elevated and excitable mood. It sounds to me like I would enjoy being elevated and excited. Now I totally can see why depression would suck in the case of bipolar especially oscillating between the two, but unipolar mania is a thing too.
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Since others have explained mania specifically…. Generally speaking…
… Most mental health/ mood disorders are made up of very familiar feelings and behaviors that at a moderate level are not destructive and are sometimes even helpful. What actually pushes something into the realm of a disorder is that whatever the behavior or feeling is, it is so persistent or so extreme that it begins to adversely affect the person’s life. When mental health professionals observe a predictable pattern of mood or behavior they will try to define and label it so to more effectively treat patients. But almost any behavior could become ‘disordered’ if the individual has no control over it and it becomes a problem for them.
Hi there! Licensed behavioral health therapist here. That’s a great question! The phrase used in diagnosis (which understanding this is a good starting point for your question) is “clinically significant distress”
Feeling elevated and excitable within reason is fine and doesn’t cause clinically significant distress. Mania and more commonly hypo-mania cause major distress for people who experience it. Initially giving them endless energy and creativity however it’s coupled with an inability to assess risk and critically think about their behaviors.
This is all very extreme. Mania might lead to someone jumping off their roof because they feel as if they can fly whereas hypomania could appear as sleepless nights, risky behaviors and cognitive disorganization.
All the clients I have worked with that have been diagnosis’s Bi polar 1 or 2 (having experienced at least one manic episode or hypomanic episode) all grieve the loss of their mania after being out on mood stabilizers. They usually do miss the energy, spontaneity and excessive creativity. Of course they do it was their norm! They don’t miss the fugues, the risky behaviors and interpersonal conflicts that Mania creates.
But that’s why your question is so good! Because hypomania does present in ways that are somewhat enjoyable in a vacuum. It’s just it’s not in a vacuum, you become a victim to your hypomania.
All my clients who I have worked with also have held onto their values and creativity as they recover. The hypomania ending isn’t the end of their creativity or prowess it’s the end of them being so manic that they get into themselves and the life they want.
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