A mild to moderate level of mania is called hypomania Hypomania is abnormality of mood but even normal euphoria and mania. Characterized by optimism, pressure of speech and activity, and decreased need for sleep. Some people have increased creativity while others demonstrate poor judgment and irritability.

A distinct period of persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, lasting throughout at least 4 days, that is clearly different from the usual non depressed mood.

The clinical features of mania reflect a marked elevation of mood, characterized by euphoria, overactivity and disinhibition. Hypomania is the mild form of mania. Hypomania lasts a shorter time and is less severe, with no psychotic features and less disability. Hypomania can be distinguished from normal happiness by its persistence, non-reactivity (not provoked by good news and not affected by bad news) and social disability. Mania almost always occurs as part of a bipolar affective disorder. The social disability of mania can be severe, with disinhibited behaviour leading to significant debts (from overspending and over-generosity), lost relationships (from promiscuity), social ostracism and lost employment (from reckless or disinhibited behaviour).

Hypomania may feel good to the person who experiences it and may even be associated with good functioning and enhanced productivity. Thus even when family and friends learn to recognize the mood swings as possible bipolar disorder, the person may deny that anything is wrong. Without proper treatment, however, hypomania can become severe mania in some people or can switch into depression.

The less severe form of high in bipolar disorder is hypomania. People with this form have increased energy and tend to become more active than usual. They do not, however, have delusions or hallucinations. They do not lose touch with reality in the sense that they know who they are and what is real. What can be a problem, however, is that they tend to overestimate their capabilities and fail to see the obvious risks involved in their ventures. For example, if they are in business, they may suddenly decide to expand in a way that is not really practical or set up schemes for which they are ill prepared. Other forms of less inhibited behavior include reckless driving, gambling, spending sprees and sexual adventures. They may also have lots of new ideas but do not follow them through. They are often very jolly to be with but can become impatient if they cannot do what they want.

Hypomania can be difficult to diagnose because it may masquerade as mere happiness. It is important to diagnose hypomania because, as an expression of bipolar disorder, it can cycle into depression and carry an increased risk of suicide.

However, hypomania can rarely be maintained indefinitely, and is often followed by an escalation to mania or a crash to depression.

Epidemiology - The lifetime prevalence of bipolar affective disorder is 1% across the world. Unlike unipolar depressive illness, it is equally common in men and women, supporting its different aetiology. There is no variation by socio- economic class or race. The mean age of onset is 21; earlier than unipolar depression. The higher prevalence found in divorced people is probably a consequence of the condition.

What are the symptoms of Hypomania?

This description is not really negative things. What makes hypomania scary is that an individual may make bad choices with the increased energy. A common error made by Bipolar folks is to stop taking medications, because some degree of hypomania feels good.

The episode is not severe enough to cause marked impairment in social or occupational functioning, or to necessitate hospitalization, and there are no psychotic features.  The episode is associated with an unequivocal change in functioning that is uncharacteristic of the person when not symptomatic.