Hypomania is a mood condition characterized by a period of persistent mood elevation and /or mood depression. Often confused with bipolar disorder, it exists on its own as a mild form of mania. It is also distinguished from bipolar disorder by the absence of psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations. Hypomania can be seen as a period of positive manifestation of energy characterized by increased confidence, creativity and productivity. Often, it is not serious enough to produce adverse effects on a person's social or work life. Conversely, this period of mood elevation can swing to the other extreme, bringing in a period of dysphoria.
Hypomania and Mood Elevation
The condition manifests as at least 4 days of elevated euphoria in which the victim experiences rapid speech, insomnia, flood of ideas, decreased inhibitions, increased goal oriented activities and unflagging energy. Such mood elevation has accounted for the success of several American entrepreneurs. In The Hypomanic Edge:The Link Between ( A Little) Craziness and (A lot) of Success in America ( New York: Simon & Shuster, 2005), John Gartner claims that the predominance of successful entrepreneurs in the United States is due to the genetic pool of hypomanic settlers who risked their lives to start new ventures in America.
Highly successful hypomanics include Columbus, regarded by his contemporaries as mad because of his obsession with sailing to the East, the Puritans whose religious fanaticism accounted for their business success, Andrew Carnegie whose mad plunge into the steel industry during an economic depression started the Industrial Revolution in America, and Thomas Edison who often worked 48 hours straight without sleep.
Hypomania and Mood Depression
The dark side of hypomania is mood depression during which the victim feels agitated and “energized” in a very destructive sense. He or she has trouble sleeping, experiences racing thoughts, speech, confusion, panic attacks and sense of guilt. Sometimes, this is accompanied by paranoia and thoughts of suicide. Mood depression or dysphoria is more likely to be experienced by women than by men. While severely depressed individuals usually do not have enough energy to get out of bed, a person afflicted with dysphoria hypomania has an unusual supply of energy, often enough to carry out self mutiliation or suicide. Triggers for mood depression in hypomanics run the gamut from carbohydrates and wheat to loud noises, flashing lights or crowded rooms. One writer describes the experience as wanting “to crawl out of our own skin.”
Hypomania and Mood Regulation
There is hope for people who experience hypomania. Mood stabilizers are usually effective. Treatments that combine drugs with family focused therapies have been most successful in helping patients with mood regulation. Cognitive behavior therapy helps the patient come to terms with attitude, choice and mood. Such therapy is designed to help patients recognize triggers and symptoms of impending episodes and change their perceptions and thinking patterns.
Alternative treatments for mood regulation include counseling,peer support group, talk therapy, light therapy, stress management, proper diet and exercise. In fact, when hypomania is properly diagnosed and treated, most patients can successfully regulate mood dysfunction and lead normal lives.
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