Manic Episodes in Bipolar Disorder: You Can Prepare For It In Advance

Foreseeing upcoming mania episodes can lead to better management of the condition and can make the experience feel less severe

The mental state also becomes risky for the affected person who is prone to engage in activities that might cause physical, social and sometimes financial harm as well.

Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder in which the affected person might experience extreme shifts in mood. Mania is one important characteristic of a kind of Bipolar disorder. It is a state of mind where the affected person might experience an abnormally elevated or irritable mood which is unusual from their natural state of mind. While not much conversation has been around the disorder and the mania episodes that accompany some forms of it, celebrities like Selena Gomez are breaking the glass ceiling by sharing their fight against the mental disorder which is more common than it seems.

Talking about mania, this highly elevated state of mind is a change from your usual self and might be noticeable to others. The state also becomes risky for the affected person who is prone to engage in activities that might cause physical, social and sometimes financial harm as well. Sometimes the affected individuals might also engage in risky behaviour for instance trying out life-threatening adventures. While the condition can exist life-long, its symptoms and even the mania phase of the illness can be managed with time. The person who is used to getting mania attacks or its less severe counterpart hypomania can reportedly feel the episode coming or even the loved ones around the person can feel subtle changes in the behaviour. Hence, foreseeing upcoming mania episodes can lead to better management and less severity of the experience.

Understanding manic behaviour

Before we can predict the upcoming manic episode, we must know how the manic episode can affect our judgement. Bipolar 1 usually involves at least one manic episode that could last for a week whereas in Bipolar II, the affected person is more prone to suffer from one major depressive episode along with hypomania which is usually less severe than a manic episode. Though mania and hypomania differ in intensity, both involve feelings of excitement, impulsivity and high energy. Cyclothymia is another form of the disease that usually involves episodes of hypomania and less severe depression.

A typical mania attack

People affected by mania are always at the risk of engaging in risky behaviour and unfortunately they lose the power of clear judgement during the period. They often fail to recognize the long term consequences of their impulsive decisions. If a loved one is in midst of a manic episode or one is fast approaching it, they might engage in activities such as-

1. Quitting job abruptly
2. Going away to a distant place without informing anybody
3. Making a big investment without any thought or counsel
4. Driving recklessely which they usually don't
5. Using alcohol or drugs more casually than usual
6. Can go on spending spree
7. Participate in dangerous sports
8. Have unprotected sexual activity
9. Becoming suddenly talkative
10. Feeling like you are unusually talented or powerful
11. Sudden anger burst outs.

How to prepare yourself for a mania attack

While mania attacks have been unfairly portrayed as something totally out of control but you must know that one can not only know when they are about to head into an attack but also manage it well with some simple practices. The following are few things you can do when you feel like its going to happen soon-

1. If you suddenly feel even any slightest change in your behaviour, then first reach out to your doctor. They might immediately change the medicine or might increase its dosage.
2. Try to take a lot of sleep
3. Whatever might happen, don't miss your exercise program. Try to stick as close as to your routine as possible.
4. Never skip your medicine
5. Schedule an urgent therapy session
6. Keep phone numbers of loved ones and doctor handy
7. If you know the triggers of your attack, for instance, a person or behaviour or thing, stay away from it or completely avoid any confrontation.
8. Inform your loved ones that you might enter the episode soon, let them prepare to take care of you.
9. Avoid taking alcohol or drugs during that period.