Manic Attack: The Upside of Bipolar

The mood swings and the ups and downs of bipolar disorder make this mental illness particularly trying for patients and their families.  Understanding the symptoms of a manic attack and what triggers it can help the individual and his or her caregiver to regulate behavior.  Changes in behavior alert family members to skipped dosages of bipolar medication, which must be taken regularly for life.

Understanding the manic attack or upside of bipolar is critical. Patients in manic attack mode may have a wild, uncontrollable burst of energy.  They may exhibit very poor judgment with extreme behaviors of risk, gambling, wild driving, or reckless spending.  Mania behavior includes irritability, restlessness, rapid speech with thoughts running in all directions, and subject jumps with difficulty concentrating.

The mania attack sufferer may tell his family that he has no need of medication because he feels so good.  He may think he has superhuman powers and other delusions of super achievement.

While normal individuals experience highs or elevated moods triggered by good news or pleasant activities, the mania attack is just triggered by the illness itself, not necessarily by life experiences. Physicians recognize that irregular sleep patterns may cause mania attacks followed by manic depression. Researchers analyzing manic episodes advise that a regular sleep schedule can help control the ups and downs.  A lack of sleep or sleep disruption the night before can trigger a manic attack, which then further prevents the patient from sleeping. Following the manic attack, the individual may slide into manic depression, in which he or she sleeps too much.

Keeping on an even emotional keel, with symptoms of neither manic attack nor manic depression is a balancing act which must be carefully maintained with lifelong medication, rest, and family understanding and support.