Hypomania episodes occur when a person is experiencing symptoms of mania that are not severe enough to be considered a manic episode. Hypomania may be part of a bipolar II disorder diagnosis.
Hypomanic episodes are also part of a diagnosis of cyclothymic disorder. Cyclothymic disorder is characterized by the presence of numerous hypomanic episodes for at least two years.
Hypomania causes a person to have an elevated or irritable mood that is abnormal for the individual. To be considered a hypomanic episode, the mood disturbance must last at least four days. For a manic episode, the abnormally elevated or irritable mood and other symptoms must last at least a week or be severe enough to require hospitalization.
The person must experience at least three additional symptoms of mania during this period of an abnormally elevated mood or four or more for an irritable mood for it to be considered a hypomanic episode. Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity and distractibility are two of the possible symptoms of mania that someone may experience during a hypomanic episode.
Increased talkativeness and racing thoughts are two possible symptoms of mania. The person may not feel a need for sleep during a hypomanic episode. The person may sleep as little as two or three hours a day and not feel tired.
Another symptom of hypomania is a focus on goal-oriented behavior. The person may have a renewed and even obsessive pursuit of a goal. The goal may be related to work, personal achievement, social activities, or interpersonal relationships.
A person having a hypomanic episode may have unusual behavior that is pleasurable without regard to the consequences. Drug use, sexual promiscuity, and excessive spending are common types of behavior that may be unusual for the individual, but may be a frequent activity for the person during a hypomanic episode.
The symptoms of a hypomanic episode must cause an observable change in functioning. The change in functioning must not be severe enough to cause an impairment in occupational and social functioning.
The hypomania may be reclassified as a manic episode if the symptoms become severe enough to cause an occupational or social impairment or the symptoms persist for more than a week. Since the defining symptom of bipolar I disorder is the presence of a manic episode, the diagnosis may change from cyclothymic disorder or bipolar II disorder to bipolar I disorder.
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