Manic Psychosis - Causes, Symptom, ad Treatment

Introduction

Manic psychosis is a mental health condition resulting in drastic mood shifts, elevated energy levels, changes in emotions, etc. Mania psychosis is associated with bipolar disorder. It exhibits symptoms like extreme mood changes, from having high energy or emotional levels to feeling depressed. It is diagnosed first by performing a few blood tests to determine if any underlying disease or condition causes this, and a psychiatric assessment is done. Then, they are best treated with medications to fix the mood shifts, counseling is done, and hospitalization in severe cases is followed.

What Is Manic Psychosis?

Mania is a state of drastic and abnormal mood shifts and elevated emotional and energy levels that occur at some point. It also affects the person's day-to-day activity and sleep, and communication. It affects a person's behavior causing highly energetic physical and mental behavior, which is easily noticeable by ordinary people. Psychosis is a state of detachment from reality. Psychosis occurs in particular medical and mental health conditions, including bipolar disorder.

What Causes Manic Psychosis?

• The exact causes of mania psychosis are unclear.

• However, certain changes in the physiologic aspect of the brain (changes in the brain structure) are believed to bring changes in a person's physical and mental behavior.

• Also, a genetic predisposition is linked in people with this mental health condition. For example, if a first-grade relative like a parent or a sibling has mania psychosis, the person is more likely to get this condition as well. However, the genes which cause these changes are still unclear, and scientists are researching them.

• Chemical imbalance in the brain.

• Due to the side effects of certain medications like antidepressants.

• Due to alcohol consumption or recreational drug usage.

• A high-stress level that is unable to manage.

• A drastic change in life following a divorce or the death of a loved one.

• Certain factors like trauma, unmanageable life situations like the worst financial crisis, abuse, or loneliness.

• Postpartum psychosis (a mental health disorder that occurs after delivering a baby).

• Physiologic and neurologic conditions that affect the brain like brain injury, brain tumor, dementia (losing cognitive functions like thinking, reasoning, and remembering that affect the day-to-day activities of the affected person), stroke (brain damage due to the reduced blood supply to the brain), or encephalitis (inflammation or swelling of the brain caused by infections or autoimmune disorders).

What Are the Symptoms of Manic Psychosis?

• High abnormal energy levels.

• Feeling extreme happiness, excitement, and euphoria (feeling elated or extremely happy) in some cases.

• Feeling well rested with limited sleep for a few hours or no sleep.

• Having an invincible feeling and high self-esteem.

• Having a tendency to talk too much at a fast pace, such that others cannot interrupt.

• Having flights of ideas (having too many ideas on multiple topics simultaneously).

• Getting easily distracted by unrelated or unnecessary things.

• Being obsessed and getting absorbed in an activity.

• Exhibiting unnecessary movements like moving in and around the house, clueless.

• Fidgeting with something while sitting.

• Exhibiting reckless behavior like buying unnecessary things and making foolish decisions.

• Having hallucinations (experiences that seem real but are imaginarily created in the mind).

• Delusions (having false beliefs and showing that the person has the inability to think clearly or wisely).

What Tests Help Find Manic Psychosis?

• Physical Examination: A physical exam is conducted by the doctor to check the heartbeat, eye coordination, reflex to stimuli, etc.

• Psychiatric Assessment: A psychiatrist does a psychiatric evaluation regarding the affected person's thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. A self-assessment questionnaire will be provided to the affected person to check their psychological status. Relevant questions will be asked by the psychiatrist to the affected person's relatives with their permission.

• Mood Charting: The psychiatrist will suggest the patient to maintain a diary to write about their emotions, moods, and sleeping pattern. This will help the psychiatrist in diagnosing the cause.

How Is Manic Psychosis Treated?

• Medications: Medications like,

  • Mood Stabilizing Medications: Mood-stabilizing medications like Lithium, Valproic acid, and Carbamazepine are prescribed to help reduce the maniac symptoms.

  • Antipsychotics: Antipsychotic medications like Olanzapine, Risperidone, Aripiprazole, etc.. will be prescribed alone or together with a mood stabilizer to control mania symptoms or depression.

  • Antidepressants: Antidepressants like Tricyclic antidepressants are prescribed. However, sometimes these medications may trigger manic symptoms. Hence, they are prescribed together with mood stabilizers.

  • Anti-Anxiety Drugs: Anti-anxiety drugs like Benzodiazepines help reduce anxiety and promote sleep. But, they are used for a short period only.

  • Antidepressant and Antipsychotic: The medication Symbyax is a combination of Olanzapine (an antipsychotic drug) and Fluoxetine (antidepressant). It acts by controlling depression and stabilizes the mood.

• Day Treatment Program: A day treatment program where trained mental health professionals will provide counseling and mental support to help reduce the symptoms.

• Psychotherapy: A well-trained mental health professional will create a bond with the affected person to modify or eradicate the existing mood shift symptoms and encourage personal well-being. They also help overcome mental and emotional hurdles.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on finding and learning the negative beliefs, toxic thoughts, or behaviors and switching them with positive, healthy thoughts and good vibes. This therapy helps understand the factors that trigger manic behaviors and find ways to resolve them.

• Family-Focussed Therapy: Involving family in the therapy is advantageous as support and positive thoughts from the family help recover from mental health conditions. As people spend most of their time with family, educating the family about the maniac symptoms and depression will help them control or avoid factors that trigger psychotic or manic behaviors.

• Substance Abuse Treatment: Using substances like illicit drugs or alcohol drinking needs to be stopped with appropriate treatments. Otherwise, it will become challenging to manage the patient.

• Hospitalization: In severe cases, when the affected person becomes violent, tries suicide attempts, has suicidal thoughts, or becomes detached from reality, hospitalization is recommended. The hospital will provide a safe and calm environment when episodes of mania or depression occur. Also, it will help control and reduce these psychotic episodes.

What Are the Risk Factors?

• Alcohol consumption and drug abuse.

• High stress due to a traumatic event or death of a loved one.

• Having a first-degree relative like a sibling or a parent with a similar mental condition.

What Are the Complications?

• Drug abuse.

• Excess alcohol consumption.

• Poor performance in school or college.

• Suicide or suicide attempt.

• Involving in legal or financial problems.

• Broken relationships.

Are Manic Psychosis and Bipolar Disorder the Same?

Bipolar disorder also exhibits extreme mood shifts with a state of emotional highs (mania) and lows (depression). Psychosis occurs in people with bipolar disorder at different stages. However, they are not always present.

How to Prevent Manic Psychosis?

• Avoid alcohol consumption and illicit drug usage.

• Have a good relationship with your close circle.

• Consume medications as directed by the doctor. Also, read about the medication if you are taking a new medication.

• Follow healthy lifestyle activities like meditating, walking, or exercising regularly.

What Is the Prognosis of Manic Psychosis?

The outcome is good with proper medications and lifestyle modifications. However, it is a mental health condition that stays forever, but medications only help reduce the symptoms.

Conclusion:

Manic psychosis is a mental health disorder that affects a person's behavior and psychological well-being. It exhibits exceptionally high emotional and energy levels as well as feeling low. Also, a state of psychological detachment from reality is noted. It makes the affected person alternate between a high emotional state of euphoric feeling to feeling depressed in a few minutes. This sometimes creates aggressive actions and irritation to the patient. Sometimes the affected person develops suicidal thoughts. Also, they sleep less or do not sleep at all. However, these conditions are treated with certain medications that alter mood shifts, induce sleep, and make the affected person feel less anxious. In Addition, knowing and avoiding the factors that trigger these behaviors along with medications helps improve the patient's life quality.