Suppose the tightrope you've been walking on suddenly rises, and you find yourself three stories above the floor. While this might frighten a lesser person, you are perfectly at ease.You are in control. Every cell of your being pulses with power. Your sense of everything is "heightened."
Sure, you may have fallen from the tightrope in the past. You may have plunged into the net repeatedly. But today will be different. You know it, absolutely. Today you will not fall; you won't so much as slip! . . . At long last, your life is working! In your joy, you don't sense your rope rising higher. You feel such freedom that you think you could fly!
Many people associate mania with being in a really good mood. When you're first getting manic, you may feel just great! However, some people get agitated or angry when they're manic or hypomanic (mildly manic).
Mania and hypomania are more extreme and/or last much longer than "normal" happiness or "normal" anger. Manic episodes often start with hypomania -- the milder form of mania -- and escalate into mania. Although many signs and symptoms are the same, mania is more extreme. Click here for more about signs and symptoms.
Bipolar Disorder Demystified offers additional information about mania and hypomania, and how doctors diagnose the different types of bipolar disorders. To order copies, click here.
