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Last week I provided a real look inside a hypomanic mind, which was interesting (more on living hypomania), but doesn’t really address the question of: what is hypomania?
Hypomania, as a word, is becoming more well-known as bipolar II becomes more well known. People though, are often confused as to what hypomania is. Hypomania is not mania. The easy way to tell the difference is: if you’re not in the hospital, you’re probably not manic. Check out my article at HealthyPlace for more on the Difference Between Mania and Hypomania.
Natasha Tracy is an award-winning writer, speaker, advocate, and consultant from the Pacific Northwest. She has been living with bipolar disorder for 26 years and has written more than 2000 articles on the subject.
Find more of Natasha’s work in her acclaimed book: "Lost Marbles: Insights into My Life with Depression & Bipolar" on Amazon.
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Hi bipolartoo,
Yeah, that's pretty much in the DMS-IV but it's not said in quite that way. I tend to summarize. In a… charming and easy to understand way :)
It's true, bipolar I is generally easier to detect because _you_are_in_the_hospital_ more than likely, us bipolar IIs often aren't. And we so frequently present with depressive symptoms, that it's a tough call.
That being said, doctors _should_ always ask questions to rule in or out bipolar II. But it's still challenging and not all doctors are very good at it.
Thanks for the comment.
– N
"If you're not in the hospital, you're probably not manic." – perfect summary. It's unfortunately that so many people with hypomania don't realize how outside the 'norm' the state is. It took me 30 years of ups and downs (and casting aside my own suspicions) before I was diagnosed bipolar 2. I think if I'd had bipolar 1 it would have been detected much sooner, but alas my problems would have been even more challenging. These are just the hands we've each been dealt.