Page "Bipolar disorder" Paragraph 13

Hypomania may feel good to the person who experiences it.

Thus, even when family and friends learn to recognize the mood swings, the individual often will deny that anything is wrong.

Also, the individual may not be able to recall the events that took place while they were experiencing hypomania.

What might be called a " hypomanic event ", if not accompanied by complementary depressive episodes (" downs ", etc.

), is not typically deemed as problematic: The " problem " arises when mood changes are uncontrollable and, more importantly, volatile or " mercurial ".

If unaccompanied by depressive counterpart episodes or otherwise general irritability, this behavior is typically called hyperthymia, or happiness, which is, of course, perfectly normal.

Indeed, the most elementary definition of bipolar disorder is an often " violent " or " jarring " state of essentially uncontrollable oscillation between hyperthymia and dysthymia.

If left untreated, an episode of hypomania can last anywhere from a few days to several years.

Most commonly, symptoms continue for a few weeks to a few months.