Episodes Of Hypomania
Episodes of depression and hypomania are common experiences of people with bipolar II disorder. During a hypomanic episode, the person has symptoms of mania that are not severe enough or last long enough to be considered a manic episode.
Cyclothymic disorder is another psychiatric condition that includes episodes of hypomania. Cyclothymia is the presence of numerous hypomanic episodes for at least two years.
The symptoms of hypomania include an abnormally irritable or elevated mood that lasts for at least four days. The mood disturbance and other symptoms of mania must last for at least a week or be severe enough to require hospitalization for the symptoms to be considered evidence of a manic episode.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) by the American Psychiatric Association, the person must have at least three other symptoms of mania during the mood disturbance or four or more symptoms if the mood disturbance is irritibility for it to be considered a hypomanic episode. During an episode of hypomania, the person may develop distractibility and an inflated self-esteem or gradiosity which are two symptoms of mania.
Possible symptoms of mania include a decreased need for sleep, increased talkativeness, and racing thoughts. The decreased need for sleep can cause the person to sleep much less than usual, often as little as three hours a day, without a resulting fatigue or tiredness.
An episode of hypomania can cause the person to become preoccupied with goal-oriented behavior. During a hypomanic episode, a considerable amount of time and energy may be spent in pursuit of social, work-related, or personal goals.
A person having a hypomanic episode may have unusual behavior that is pleasurable without regard to the consequences. Drug use, sexual promiscuity, and excessive spending are common types of behavior that may be unusual for the individual, but may be a frequent activity for the person during a hypomanic episode.
The symptoms of a hypomanic episode must cause an observable change in functioning. The change in functioning must not be severe enough to cause an impairment in occupational and social functioning.
If the symptoms persist for at least a week and become severe enough to cause an impairment in occupational or social functioning, the hypomanic episode may be considered a manic episode. In these cases, the person’s diagnosis may change from bipolar II disorder or cyclothymic disorder to bipolar I disorder since the presence of manic episodes is the defining trait of bipolar I disorder.