mania

Mania ( ; also known as manic syndrome) is a psychiatric behavioral syndrome defined as a state of abnormally elevated arousal, affect, and energy level. During a manic episode, an individual will experience rapidly changing emotions and moods, highly influenced by surrounding stimuli. Although mania is often conceived of as a "mirror image" to depression, the heightened mood can be dysphoric as well as euphoric. As the mania intensifies, irritability can be more pronounced and result in anxiety or anger.

The symptoms of mania include elevated mood (either euphoric or irritable), flight of ideas, pressure of speech, increased energy, decreased "need" and desire for sleep, and hyperactivity. They are most plainly evident in fully developed hypomanic states, however, in full-blown mania, these symptoms become progressively exacerbated. In severe manic episodes, these symptoms may even be obscured by other signs and symptoms characteristic of psychosis, such as delusions (it may include delusions of grandeur and paranoid delusions), hallucinations, fragmentation of behavior, and catatonia. As a result, discernment is significantly reduced. More than 5% of the general human population has experienced mania or hypomania in some degree.