We explain the main characteristics and the differences between these mental disorders.
Disorders that affect mental health are a source of difficulties for a large number of people. These disorders are usually morecomplicated to detectthan other pathologies with more obvious clinical manifestations, which makes it difficult for people affected by them to seek appropriate treatment.
Both mania and obsessions are types of mental disorders that we can suffer if the right accompanying conditions are present. Being informed about their differences and characteristics facilitates among other thingsseeking the necessary supportfrom mental health professionals.
Definition of mania and obsession
Before commenting on their differences, let’s look at their definitions to have a more complete and accurate knowledge about these disorders.
1. Mania
Mania is also known as manic syndrome. It is an altered state at the mental and emotional level, where those affectedtemporarily experience emotions of euphoria or irritationat levels much higher than those they normally perceive.
There are several types of mania depending on the intensity of symptoms and the presence or absence of accompanying symptoms. Hypomania, for example, is a manic state of low intensity that does not usually have serious immediate consequences for those who suffer from it. In fact, some people see their hypomanic states as something positive, since it allows them to carry out tasks, for example creative, more easily.
Other more serious types of mania do have more tangible effects on the lives of those affected, such as in episodes of mania suffered by people with type 1 bipolar disorder. These can evolve from a state of hypomania to a state of mania accompanied by psychosis or seizures.
- You may be interested: “Bipolar disorder: what it is, types, causes, symptoms and treatments”
In general, the typical symptoms of mania are increased affective expression and emotional lability, accompanied by others such aslack of concentration, decreased need for sleep or hyperactivity.
Depending on whether they areeuphoric or irritating emotions, the behavior of the affected will vary, being able to turn from one to the other easily, causing impulsive and even violent behaviors.
2. Obsession
Obsessions can be explained as ways of thinking that cause the minds of those affected tocling again and again to a fixed idea. They are usually caused by psychological stress and anxiety, which in turn can aggravate in cases where the obsession does not disappear on its own.
While it is common that throughout our lives we suffer at some point from some repetitive and annoying thinking, the impact it has on the general population is low. In people who already have some type of psychological or psychiatric pathology, obsessions occur more frequently and can evolve more easily to serious obsessions.
Obsessive compulsive disorder can occur when the subject needs to perform actions tominimize the unpleasant effects of their obsessions on theirmental health, which can cause great discomfort and problems to function in daily life normally.
Differences between mania and obsession
Both mania and obsession are terms used in the field of mental health to explain different disorders. Maniais mainly characterized by being a state of high emotions, whether in the form of euphoria or irritation. Obsessions, on the other hand, are defined as intrusive fixations that can affect the quality of life of people who suffer from them depending on their evolution.
Here aresome of the differences between the two disorders, from their symptoms to their evolution:
1. Mania is more dangerous for the affected
Mania can be defined as an elevated mood, with main emotions that can be both euphoria and irritability. People affected by an episode of mania, especially those who also suffer from depressive episodes (such as people with bipolar disorder), have an increased risk of suicide and suicidal ideation.
When the suicidal ideations, common in depressive disorders, are combined with the rise of energy and impulsivity of mania, a dangerous situation is obtained in which the affected personfinds enough energy and motivationto carry out their suicidal ideations.
2. Obsessions can occur in any individual
Obsessions occur when a thought becomes repetitive and recurrent, and can cause discomfort in the person who suffers them. Obsessions are very variedand have a strong personal component, so the theme of obsession will also vary greatly between people, although there are certain obsessions more typical than others.
We can all suffer from an obsession throughout our lives, without the need for an accompanying pathology to explain them. Mania, on the other hand, is a disorder of greater seriousness for the health of those affected, which is usually associated with more specific pathologies and is less prevalent.
3. Mania has a higher biological component
Part of the explanation for manias lies in people’s biology. There are severalgenetic and physiological factors that predispose to mania, especially in cases of bipolar disorder.
Among these factors we can list some neurological factors, such as hypersensitivity to stimuli, as well as certainmetabolic factors, such as the altered expression of the enzyme PKC (protein kinase C) or alterations in the activity of neurotransmitters such as dopamine.
4. They are associated with different disorders
Obsessions are not necessarily associated with an accompanying pathology, but it is common for people affected by obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or who have some type of obsessive personality disorder to suffer from them.
Manias are also linked to mainly psychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder, although unlike obsessions they can appear accompanying other pathologies, such as multiple sclerosis or some cardiovascular diseases.
5. Obsessions usually go away on their own.
The vast majority of obsessions tend to resolve themselves over time without seriously affecting the normal life of the affected person. If they continue for a long time, they can cause strong feelings of anguish and anxiety, even becoming an obsessive disorder.
Mania instead occurs periodically, where the individual “jumps” between different emotional states (from normality to mania, from depression to mania…). States of mania can hardly be resolved by themselves, unless they are caused by external elements.
6. Some substances can make mania worse
Some drugs that affect the hypothalamic-pituitary axisincrease the likelihood of suffering episodes of mania, but they can also be caused by medication such as antidepressants, which vary the metabolism of certain neurotransmitters, or by the use of anabolic steroids.
For the improvement of episodes of mania, it is necessary to evaluate the medication of the patient who suffers them, as well as their education on the dangerousness of substance abuse, depending on the case.
7. Mania can be controlled with medication
Mania usually cannot be made to disappear definitively with medication. Treatment of mania requires careful evaluation of the underlying pathology and therapy that includes both appropriate medication and psychological support of the patient by a mental health professional.
Medications such as lithiumare effective in significantly reducing the frequency and intensity of episodes of mania, which allows those affected to lead a more stable life, which added to obtaining good psychological and mental habits, can be the key to the well-being of people suffering from it.
Obsessions, on the other hand, when they do not resolve themselves, tend to improve mainly thanks to psychotherapy, medication being a support to limit the negative effects of recurring ideas.
References
- Brondolo, Elizabeth; Amador, Xavier (2008). Break the Bipolar Cycle: A Day by Day Guide to Living with Bipolar Disorder.
- Shin NY, Lee TY, Kim E, Kwon JS (2013). “Cognitive functioning in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a meta-analysis”. Psychological Medicine. doi:10.1017/s0033291713001803.
- Hanwella, R., & de Silva, V. A. (2011). Signs and symptoms of acute mania: a factor analysis. BMC psychiatry, 11, 137. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-11-137.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.