The Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama, said, “It is necessary to help others, not only in our prayers but in our daily lives. If we find we cannot help others, the least we can do is to desist from harming them.” Helping others is an essential part of what makes a healthy society. This includes how we help those struggling with issues of addiction and mental illness. More specifically, this includes how we treat mania and its related disorders.
What Is Mania?
According to the peer-reviewed clinical report, Mania, by authors Dailey and Saadabadi, “Mania, or a manic phase, is a period of 1 week or more in which a person experiences a change in behavior that drastically affects their functioning… The defining characteristics of mania are increased talkativeness, rapid speech, decreased need for sleep, racing thoughts, distractibility, increase in goal-directed activity, and psychomotor agitation. Some other hallmarks of mania are an elevated or expansive mood, mood lability, impulsivity, irritability, and grandiosity.”
Seeing an individual struggling with mania can be alarming, but it is important to remember that mania is but a symptom of either a situation, addiction, or mental health disorder. This means that it can be treated with the proper addiction or mental health care. The key is to get that person to the professional help they need to get well.
What Disorders Are Most Related to Manic Episodes?
Mania can manifest from several different sources. Mania may show up as a result of feeling overwhelmed by various situations, such as extreme stress at work. It may also appear as a result of someone who has experienced a traumatic event, either as a direct result or as a symptom of lingering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Mania can also come as a result of alcohol use disorder (AUD) or substance use disorder (SUD). For example, someone who has been on a binge with illicit stimulants may fall into a state of mania. Another example is someone withdrawing from alcohol that slips into a state of mania as a result of delirium tremens (DTs). However, the most common cause of mania is mental illness. It can come as a result of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, but more often than not it arises from bipolar disorder (specifically, bipolar I disorder).
According to the National Institute of Health (NIMH), “Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that can be chronic (persistent or constantly recurring) or episodic (occurring occasionally and at irregular intervals). People sometimes refer to bipolar disorder with the older terms ‘manic-depressive disorder’ or ‘manic depression.’ Everyone experiences normal ups and downs, but with bipolar disorder, the range of mood changes can be extreme.” These mood changes must be treated alongside the mania if one is to recover from bipolar disorder.
Best Bipolar Disorder and Mania TreatmentsHow to Best Treat Mania and Bipolar Disorder
Mania and bipolar disorder are often treated with a “two-pronged” approach. According to the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Administration (SAMHSA), “Bipolar disorder is treatable with a combination of medication and therapy. Medications [such as] mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, and antidepressants can help manage mood swings and other symptoms… Therapy helps people accept their disorder, recognize the warning signs of a manic or depressive episode, develop coping skills for handling stress, and stick with a medication schedule.”
It is also important to note that bipolar disorder and mania treatments must have a long-term strategy, as bipolar disorder has a high rate of “relapse.” The same is also true with SUD.
Substance Use Disorder and Mania Treatments
The best way to treat mania and SUD is to get to a place where the substance is no longer in the individual’s system. This often requires professional detoxification (detox).
It is important to note that detoxing in a professional setting is crucial. This is because mania can also occur from withdrawing in an unsafe manner, especially when detoxing from alcohol or opioid drugs. Mania treatments also differ when the mania comes from another source like stress or trauma.
When someone is struggling with mania that is not associated with mental illness or addiction, it can be crucial to get them to see a doctor or medical specialist sooner rather than later. First, this doctor can determine if an individual indeed does have a related disorder, and second, they can refer the individual to a therapist or psychiatrist who can help with their manic episodes.
Healing at the Cellular Level With The Phoenix Recovery Center
Here at The Phoenix Recovery Center, our primary purpose is to help people recover at all costs. This is why we only offer comprehensive and individualized recovery plans that aim to heal at the cellular level.
The Dalai Lama also famously said, “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” Recovery is all about making a plan of action, and we are here to help put that plan into effect.
Understanding the disorders, addictions, and issues most associated with mania and manic episodes can be extremely helpful when it comes to helping someone struggling. This includes mania and bipolar disorder, postpartum psychosis, schizoaffective disorder, and alcohol and substance use disorder. If you feel like you or a loved one is struggling with issues of mania or any other type of mental illness or addiction, we can help get you on the right road to long-term recovery. For more information about bipolar disorder and substance use disorder and how these disorders can best be treated with psychotherapy and pharmacology, please reach out to The Phoenix Recovery Center today at (801) 438-3185.
