The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that bipolar disorder and manic depression are the same mood disorder. The patient has mood swings between mania (the "high") and depression (the "low"). During mania, the patient becomes very excitable and can have excessive energy. Mania can also drive the patient to participate in risky behaviors. The signs of mania can be categorized as "mood signs" and "behavioral signs," though the duration and severity of the signs vary, based on the type of bipolar disorder the patient has.
Mood Signs
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) notes that during mania, the patient becomes euphoric: She seems to be overly happy and feels like she is on a "high."She may feel very outgoing during mania, and want to be sociable. Not all manic moods are the same, however. Some patients may become irritable or agitated; other patients may become hyperactive and jumpy, and can appear to be "wired."
Behavioral Signs
The behavioral signs of mania encompass many mannerisms, according to the NIMH. Due to the hyperactivity, the patient may take on extra work and have unrealistic expectations about his abilities. The patient may have racing thoughts and talk very quickly, where it seems he does not take pauses in between verbalized ideas. The patient may also feel little need to sleep, or state that he does not need much sleep to function. This will be a change from his normal sleeping patterns. Restlessness is another common behavioral sign. During the mania phase of bipolar disorder and manic depression, the patient may participate in impulsive behavior, such as going on shopping sprees. A danger of mania is the high-risk behavior the patient feels more inclined to do. The NIH mentions drug use and unprotected sex as two behaviors a patient may take part in while in the mania stage.
Duration and Severity
In bipolar disorder and manic depression, the duration of the mania phase varies. The NIH notes that signs of mania can last just a few days, or continue for months. A patient can have mixed symptoms when she is transitioning between mania and depression. The severity of the mania symptoms are dependent on the type of manic depression the patient is diagnosed with. If the patient has bipolar disorder type I, she will have full-blown mania symptoms. If the patient has bipolar disorder type II, however, she will have hypomania---a lesser form of mania. Patients with cyclomania, another type of manic depression, also experience hypomania.
