Understand Mania: mood change!

Your mood can change due to many factors. When chemicals stimulate certain parts of the brain, mood usually gets affected. A manic episode is characterized by period of time where an elevated, expansive or notably irritable mood is present, lasting for at least one week. These feelings must be sufficiently severe to cause difficulty or impairment in occupational, social, educational or other important functioning. Hypomania is a milder version of mania, you behave in similar ways, but out of control or disoriented. Psychosis, ‘losing touch with reality’ can occur.

With mania, you may:

·       Feel ‘on top of the world’ and overly confident

·       Be irritated and more likely to argue

·       Need very little sleep, and still not feel tired

·       Have trouble focusing on any one thing for long

·       Have lots of extra energy or be unable to slow down

·       Have thoughts racing through your head

·       Talk a lot more than usual and much faster

·       Do things without taking about what could happen afterwards. Such as over expenditure, use drugs and sex abuse.

Triggers: Certain factors lead to mania viz stress, distrupted routine, drugs and alcohol, sometimes own medication of antidepressants.

Assessing Problem:

It’s related to your mood, your healthcare provider diagnosis it by asking a series of questions about life.

A physical examination followed by investigation may also require seeing associated problems. Medication prescribed by competitive doctor also helps.

Self Care:

·       Get routine in your day-today life.

·       Even a small change in routine can trigger a big shift in your mood. Try to keep your routine as regular as possible. This in turn keeps your mood healthy. Other things to be taken care are:

·       Good diet-enough vitamins, minerals, and fatty acid.

·       Enough sleep

·       Regular exercise

·       Gentle stress-free activities like yoga or swimming also help.

·       Complementary therapies, massaging/ reflexology

·       Avoid drugs and alcohol

·       Keep a mood journal

Talk therapy helps you take control

Talk therapy works well to assess and regulate mood swing. it helps you to see behavioral patterns and keeps you from repeating past mistakes. It teaches you skills to live healthier, more functional life with fewer episode of mania.

Cognitive behavioral therapy: helps you recognize thought patterns that lead mood shifts, it teaches you to replace distorted thoughts with realistic ones. It helps to react wisely to activating stimulations.

Family focused therapy: helps families learn to cope with mania and support each other.

Inter-personal or social rhythm therapy– teaches you to keep a stable routine and maintain personal relationship. You shall also learn about other lifestyle changes that help keep mania under control.

Psycho-education also helps to understand to mania more.

Dos & Don’ts in Mania

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