What Is Hypomania?

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Table of Contents

Definition

Symptoms

Diagnosis

Causes

Impact

Treatment

Coping

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What are the Characteristics of Hypomania?

A hypomanic episode commonly manifests with unusual gaiety, excitement, flamboyance, or irritation, along with other characteristics such as inflated self-esteem, extreme talkativeness, increased distractibility, reduced need for sleep, and racing thoughts.

Signs and Symptoms of Hypomania

The specific symptoms experienced during hypomania can vary from one person to another, and they can also change over time.Examples of hypomanic behaviors and characteristics include:

Diagnoses that Include Hypomanic Episodes

Hypomania is not a diagnosis on its own, but it is an important set of symptoms that helps make an accurate diagnosis.

The mood, activity, and behaviors that are present with hypomania are clearly different from a person’s normal state and readily noticeable to those around them. A lack of mood fluctuation and persistence of the mood state help distinguish a hypomanic episode from a normal mood variation.

It’s also important to rule out medications or recreational substance use as a possible source of the symptoms before making a diagnosis.

Hypomanic Episode vs. Manic EpisodeBy definition, specific characteristics and features can rule out hypomania and often point toward a manic episode instead.For example, symptoms of psychosis—such as ​hallucinationsordelusions—exclude the possibility of a hypomanic episode. Additionally, symptoms so severe that they significantly interfere with daily functioning or necessitate hospitalization aremanic versus hypomanic.

Hypomanic Episode vs. Manic Episode

By definition, specific characteristics and features can rule out hypomania and often point toward a manic episode instead.For example, symptoms of psychosis—such as ​hallucinationsordelusions—exclude the possibility of a hypomanic episode. Additionally, symptoms so severe that they significantly interfere with daily functioning or necessitate hospitalization aremanic versus hypomanic.

By definition, specific characteristics and features can rule out hypomania and often point toward a manic episode instead.

For example, symptoms of psychosis—such as ​hallucinationsordelusions—exclude the possibility of a hypomanic episode. Additionally, symptoms so severe that they significantly interfere with daily functioning or necessitate hospitalization aremanic versus hypomanic.

Bipolar Hypomania

To be diagnosed withbipolar I or bipolar II disorder, a person must generally experience both depressive and manic and/or hypomanic episodes.

Overview of Bipolar I and Bipolar II Disorder

What Causes Hypomania?

While hypomania can be a symptom of bipolar disorder, this state can occur for other reasons as well. Some of the potential causes of hypomania include the following:

Alcohol or Drug Use

Hypomania and/or depression occur in 11% of people withsubstance use disorderand 55% of people with a substance-related impairment.

Changes in Sleep Patterns

Insomnia is associated with hypomanic experiences in some individuals, particularly if the circadian rhythm is consistently disrupted.However, more research is needed to confirm whethersleep issuescause hypomania versus hypomania causing the sleep issues, or a combination of both.

Depression

Depressioncan be part of bipolar disorder, but it can also exist on its own and co-occur with hypomania.In some cases, it is the treatment of depression that leads to hypomania. This is called antidepressant-associated hypomania and occurs in 0.3% to 22.4% of people usingdepression medications.

Genetics

Research on twins suggests that hypomania may be inherited genetically, with this risk being more significant for males (59%) than for females (29%).

High Levels of Stress

A study involving 99 students in an emergency medicine residency program found that not only did the students' levels of stress increase significantly over the course of the program, but the rate of hypomania increased significantly as well.These findings suggest that higher levels of stress may contribute to the development of hypomanic behaviors.

Medication

Herbal Supplements

Like medication, herbal supplements are not without their risks, and some have been linked with psychiatric symptoms. There are reports of large combinations of herbal supplements causing symptoms of hypomania when taken together over a prolonged period of time.

Impact of Hypomanic Episodes

Even in the absence of the psychosis and wildly exaggerated moods associated with mania, hypomania can still have serious long-term consequences.

To be transparent, not all aspects of hypomania are negative. For instance, one case study found that hypomania appears to increase aerobic capacity and cardiopulmonary functioning, potentially through increased mobility and hypomania-related goal-directed behavior.

Increases in energycan also help you get more done;confidence increaseshelp you feel good mentally, and you may even notice morecreativity. The one thing to remember, though, is that these benefits are often associated withpure euphoric hypomania, which is uncommon as hypomania typically morphs into something more negative than positive.

Bipolar Hypomania Treatment

The use of medications calledmood stabilizersis the most common and effective way to treat hypomania; a healthcare provider may prescribe one or more of the following:

There are also holistic approaches and lifestyle changes that can help in the treatment of hypomania, including:

Treatment Options for Bipolar Disorder

Coping With Hypomania

If you’ve beenexperiencing hypomania-like symptoms, make an appointment with a mental healthcare provider, such as a psychiatrist. A mental health professional with experience in diagnosing mood disorders can determine if a diagnosis of hypomania is accurate and whether it’s a symptom of underlying bipolar disorder.

In the meantime, here are a few tips to help you cope with symptoms of hypomania:

If you or a loved one are struggling with hypomania, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with hypomania, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

The Best Online Bipolar Disorder Support Groups

17 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health.NICE Guideline: Bipolar disorder: Assessment and management. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE); 2023:185.National Center for Biotechnology Information.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 changes on the national survey on drug use and health [Internet]. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; 2016:Table 3.8, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Hypomania Criteria Comparison.Phelps J.A more nuanced view of hypomania.Psychiatric Times.Published online 2017.Camacho M, Almeida S, Moura AR, et al.Hypomania symptoms across psychiatric disorders: Screening use of the Hypomania Check-List 32 at admission to an outpatient psychiatry clinic.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:527. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00527American Psychiatric Association.What are bipolar disorders?American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR); 2022. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787Moriarity D, Bart C, Stumper A, Jones P, Alloy L.Mood symptoms and impairment due to substance use: A network perspective on comorbidity.J Affect Disord. 2021;278:423-432. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.09.086Barton J, Kyle S, Varese F, Jones S, Haddock G.Are sleep disturbances causally linked to the presence and severity of psychotic-like, dissociative and hypomanic experiences in non-clinical populations? A systematic review.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2018;89:119-131. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.02.008Stanton K, Khoo S, Watson D, Gruber J, Zimmerman M, Weinstock L.Unique and transdiagnostic symptoms of hypomania/mania and unipolar depression.Clin Psychol Sci. 2018;7(3):471-487. doi:10.1177/2167702618812725Swift Yasgur B.Antidepressant-associated hypomania: Navigating clinical challenges.Psychiatry Advisor. Published online 2020.Hosang G, Martin J, Karlsson R, et al.Association of etiological factors for hypomanic symptoms, bipolar disorder, and other severe mental illnesses.JAMA Psychiat. 2022;79(2):143-150. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.3654Rahmati F, Safari S, Hashemi B, Baratloo A, Khosravi Rad R.Prevalence of depression and personality disorders in the beginning and end of emergency medicine residency program; A prospective cross sectional study.Arch Acad Emerg Med. 2019;7(1):e5.Yamaguchi Y, Kimoto S, Nagahama T, Kishimoto T.Dosage-related nature of escitalopram treatment-emergent mania/hypomania: A case series.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2018;14:2099-2104. doi:10.2147/NDT.S168078Kazi S, Karia R, Leontieva L.Herbal supplements: Can they cause hypomania?Cureus. 2021;13(2):e13476. doi:10.7759/cureus.13476Shoval A, Armstrong H, Vakhrusheva J, Ballon J, Bartels M, Kimhy D.The impact of hypomania on aerobic capacity and cardiopulmonary functioning—A case report.Front Psychiatr. 2018;9:729. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00729Takeshima M.Treating mixed mania/hypomania: A review and synthesis of the evidence.CNS Spectr.2017;22(2):177-185. doi:10.1017/S1092852916000845Qureshi NA, Al-Bedah AM.Mood disorders and complementary and alternative medicine: A literature review.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2013;9:639-658. doi:10.2147/NDT.S43419Additional ReadingFaedda GL, Baldessarini RJ, Marangoni C, et al.An International Society of Bipolar Disorders task force report: Precursors and prodromes of bipolar disorder.Bipolar Disord. 2019;21(8):720-740. doi:10.1111/bdi.12831

17 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health.NICE Guideline: Bipolar disorder: Assessment and management. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE); 2023:185.National Center for Biotechnology Information.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 changes on the national survey on drug use and health [Internet]. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; 2016:Table 3.8, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Hypomania Criteria Comparison.Phelps J.A more nuanced view of hypomania.Psychiatric Times.Published online 2017.Camacho M, Almeida S, Moura AR, et al.Hypomania symptoms across psychiatric disorders: Screening use of the Hypomania Check-List 32 at admission to an outpatient psychiatry clinic.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:527. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00527American Psychiatric Association.What are bipolar disorders?American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR); 2022. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787Moriarity D, Bart C, Stumper A, Jones P, Alloy L.Mood symptoms and impairment due to substance use: A network perspective on comorbidity.J Affect Disord. 2021;278:423-432. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.09.086Barton J, Kyle S, Varese F, Jones S, Haddock G.Are sleep disturbances causally linked to the presence and severity of psychotic-like, dissociative and hypomanic experiences in non-clinical populations? A systematic review.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2018;89:119-131. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.02.008Stanton K, Khoo S, Watson D, Gruber J, Zimmerman M, Weinstock L.Unique and transdiagnostic symptoms of hypomania/mania and unipolar depression.Clin Psychol Sci. 2018;7(3):471-487. doi:10.1177/2167702618812725Swift Yasgur B.Antidepressant-associated hypomania: Navigating clinical challenges.Psychiatry Advisor. Published online 2020.Hosang G, Martin J, Karlsson R, et al.Association of etiological factors for hypomanic symptoms, bipolar disorder, and other severe mental illnesses.JAMA Psychiat. 2022;79(2):143-150. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.3654Rahmati F, Safari S, Hashemi B, Baratloo A, Khosravi Rad R.Prevalence of depression and personality disorders in the beginning and end of emergency medicine residency program; A prospective cross sectional study.Arch Acad Emerg Med. 2019;7(1):e5.Yamaguchi Y, Kimoto S, Nagahama T, Kishimoto T.Dosage-related nature of escitalopram treatment-emergent mania/hypomania: A case series.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2018;14:2099-2104. doi:10.2147/NDT.S168078Kazi S, Karia R, Leontieva L.Herbal supplements: Can they cause hypomania?Cureus. 2021;13(2):e13476. doi:10.7759/cureus.13476Shoval A, Armstrong H, Vakhrusheva J, Ballon J, Bartels M, Kimhy D.The impact of hypomania on aerobic capacity and cardiopulmonary functioning—A case report.Front Psychiatr. 2018;9:729. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00729Takeshima M.Treating mixed mania/hypomania: A review and synthesis of the evidence.CNS Spectr.2017;22(2):177-185. doi:10.1017/S1092852916000845Qureshi NA, Al-Bedah AM.Mood disorders and complementary and alternative medicine: A literature review.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2013;9:639-658. doi:10.2147/NDT.S43419Additional ReadingFaedda GL, Baldessarini RJ, Marangoni C, et al.An International Society of Bipolar Disorders task force report: Precursors and prodromes of bipolar disorder.Bipolar Disord. 2019;21(8):720-740. doi:10.1111/bdi.12831

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health.NICE Guideline: Bipolar disorder: Assessment and management. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE); 2023:185.National Center for Biotechnology Information.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 changes on the national survey on drug use and health [Internet]. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; 2016:Table 3.8, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Hypomania Criteria Comparison.Phelps J.A more nuanced view of hypomania.Psychiatric Times.Published online 2017.Camacho M, Almeida S, Moura AR, et al.Hypomania symptoms across psychiatric disorders: Screening use of the Hypomania Check-List 32 at admission to an outpatient psychiatry clinic.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:527. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00527American Psychiatric Association.What are bipolar disorders?American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR); 2022. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787Moriarity D, Bart C, Stumper A, Jones P, Alloy L.Mood symptoms and impairment due to substance use: A network perspective on comorbidity.J Affect Disord. 2021;278:423-432. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.09.086Barton J, Kyle S, Varese F, Jones S, Haddock G.Are sleep disturbances causally linked to the presence and severity of psychotic-like, dissociative and hypomanic experiences in non-clinical populations? A systematic review.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2018;89:119-131. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.02.008Stanton K, Khoo S, Watson D, Gruber J, Zimmerman M, Weinstock L.Unique and transdiagnostic symptoms of hypomania/mania and unipolar depression.Clin Psychol Sci. 2018;7(3):471-487. doi:10.1177/2167702618812725Swift Yasgur B.Antidepressant-associated hypomania: Navigating clinical challenges.Psychiatry Advisor. Published online 2020.Hosang G, Martin J, Karlsson R, et al.Association of etiological factors for hypomanic symptoms, bipolar disorder, and other severe mental illnesses.JAMA Psychiat. 2022;79(2):143-150. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.3654Rahmati F, Safari S, Hashemi B, Baratloo A, Khosravi Rad R.Prevalence of depression and personality disorders in the beginning and end of emergency medicine residency program; A prospective cross sectional study.Arch Acad Emerg Med. 2019;7(1):e5.Yamaguchi Y, Kimoto S, Nagahama T, Kishimoto T.Dosage-related nature of escitalopram treatment-emergent mania/hypomania: A case series.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2018;14:2099-2104. doi:10.2147/NDT.S168078Kazi S, Karia R, Leontieva L.Herbal supplements: Can they cause hypomania?Cureus. 2021;13(2):e13476. doi:10.7759/cureus.13476Shoval A, Armstrong H, Vakhrusheva J, Ballon J, Bartels M, Kimhy D.The impact of hypomania on aerobic capacity and cardiopulmonary functioning—A case report.Front Psychiatr. 2018;9:729. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00729Takeshima M.Treating mixed mania/hypomania: A review and synthesis of the evidence.CNS Spectr.2017;22(2):177-185. doi:10.1017/S1092852916000845Qureshi NA, Al-Bedah AM.Mood disorders and complementary and alternative medicine: A literature review.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2013;9:639-658. doi:10.2147/NDT.S43419

National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health.NICE Guideline: Bipolar disorder: Assessment and management. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE); 2023:185.

National Center for Biotechnology Information.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 changes on the national survey on drug use and health [Internet]. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; 2016:Table 3.8, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Hypomania Criteria Comparison.

Phelps J.A more nuanced view of hypomania.Psychiatric Times.Published online 2017.

Camacho M, Almeida S, Moura AR, et al.Hypomania symptoms across psychiatric disorders: Screening use of the Hypomania Check-List 32 at admission to an outpatient psychiatry clinic.Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:527. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00527

American Psychiatric Association.What are bipolar disorders?

American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR); 2022. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787

Moriarity D, Bart C, Stumper A, Jones P, Alloy L.Mood symptoms and impairment due to substance use: A network perspective on comorbidity.J Affect Disord. 2021;278:423-432. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.09.086

Barton J, Kyle S, Varese F, Jones S, Haddock G.Are sleep disturbances causally linked to the presence and severity of psychotic-like, dissociative and hypomanic experiences in non-clinical populations? A systematic review.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2018;89:119-131. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.02.008

Stanton K, Khoo S, Watson D, Gruber J, Zimmerman M, Weinstock L.Unique and transdiagnostic symptoms of hypomania/mania and unipolar depression.Clin Psychol Sci. 2018;7(3):471-487. doi:10.1177/2167702618812725

Swift Yasgur B.Antidepressant-associated hypomania: Navigating clinical challenges.Psychiatry Advisor. Published online 2020.

Hosang G, Martin J, Karlsson R, et al.Association of etiological factors for hypomanic symptoms, bipolar disorder, and other severe mental illnesses.JAMA Psychiat. 2022;79(2):143-150. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.3654

Rahmati F, Safari S, Hashemi B, Baratloo A, Khosravi Rad R.Prevalence of depression and personality disorders in the beginning and end of emergency medicine residency program; A prospective cross sectional study.Arch Acad Emerg Med. 2019;7(1):e5.

Yamaguchi Y, Kimoto S, Nagahama T, Kishimoto T.Dosage-related nature of escitalopram treatment-emergent mania/hypomania: A case series.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2018;14:2099-2104. doi:10.2147/NDT.S168078

Kazi S, Karia R, Leontieva L.Herbal supplements: Can they cause hypomania?Cureus. 2021;13(2):e13476. doi:10.7759/cureus.13476

Shoval A, Armstrong H, Vakhrusheva J, Ballon J, Bartels M, Kimhy D.The impact of hypomania on aerobic capacity and cardiopulmonary functioning—A case report.Front Psychiatr. 2018;9:729. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00729

Takeshima M.Treating mixed mania/hypomania: A review and synthesis of the evidence.CNS Spectr.2017;22(2):177-185. doi:10.1017/S1092852916000845

Qureshi NA, Al-Bedah AM.Mood disorders and complementary and alternative medicine: A literature review.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2013;9:639-658. doi:10.2147/NDT.S43419

Faedda GL, Baldessarini RJ, Marangoni C, et al.An International Society of Bipolar Disorders task force report: Precursors and prodromes of bipolar disorder.Bipolar Disord. 2019;21(8):720-740. doi:10.1111/bdi.12831

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