Frequent fluctuation, known as rapid cycling, is not uncommon and is defined as at least four episodes per year. The duration of elevated moods and the frequency with which they alternate with depressive moods can vary enormously from person to person. There is great variability in manic symptoms, but features may include increased energy, activity, and restlessness euphoric mood and extreme optimism extreme irritability racing thoughts, unusually fast speech, or thoughts that jump from one idea to another distractibility and lack of concentration decreased need for sleep an unrealistic belief in one's abilities and ideas poor judgment reckless behavior including spending sprees and dangerous driving, or risky and increased sexual drive provocative, intrusive, or aggressive behavior and denial that anything is wrong. As a result, a person experiencing it may deny that anything is wrong. Hypomania can be deceptive it is often experienced as a surge in energy that can feel good and even enhance productivity and creativity. But while an episode of mania is what distinguishes bipolar disorder from depression, a person may spend far more time in a depressed state than in a manic or hypomanic one. The switch between mania and depression can be abrupt, and moods can oscillate rapidly. It can be the triggering episode of the disorder, followed by a depressive episode, or it can first manifest after years of depressive episodes. The defining feature of bipolar disorder is mania. People with bipolar II normally have a major depressive episode that lasts at least two weeks along with hypomania, a mania that is mild to moderate and does not normally require hospital care. People with bipolar I have had at least one manic episode, which may be very severe and require hospital care.

A major depressive episode may or may not accompany bipolar I, but does accompany bipolar II. There are two primary types of bipolar disorder: Bipolar I and Bipolar II. Biological factors probably create vulnerability to the disorder within certain individuals, and experiences such as sleep deprivation can kick off manic episodes. Misdiagnosis is common the condition is often confused with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, or borderline personality disorder. The disorder most often starts in young adulthood, but can also occur in children and adolescents. When euphoria is present, it may manifest as unusual energy and overconfidence, playing out in bouts of overspending or promiscuity, among other behaviors.

The manic phase usually involves a mix of irritability, anger, and depression, with or without euphoria. Depression is by far the most pervasive feature of the illness. Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a chronically recurring condition involving moods that swing between the highs of mania and the lows of depression.

Example of manic episode