C06. High tension and arrogance

TOC

He is full of fighting spirit and self-confidence, high-spirited, energetic, cutting down on sleep, good-natured and spending money recklessly. However, he is a bossy person who thinks he is right, and when he is in a bad mood, he gets angry and withdraws. Do you know anyone like this? He is suspected of mania.

In psychiatry, mania is defined as the following (DSM-5):

" An abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, along with abnormally and persistently increased goal-directed activity or energy, persisting for most of the day, nearly every day, for at least a week."

The diagnostic criteria also include at least three of the following: " Inflated self-esteem , decreased need for sleep (feeling well-rested after only three hours of sleep), being much more talkative than usual, a lot of ideas and being easily distracted, being unable to pay attention to anything else in order to achieve goals at work, school, or sexually, and being preoccupied with hedonistic activities that have a high chance of negative consequences, such as extravagant spending , sexual indiscretions , and foolish business investments ." Furthermore, these symptoms are said to be severe enough to cause significant problems socially or at work, or to harm oneself or others to the extent that hospitalization is necessary to prevent them.

For example, a nuisance YouTuber will repeatedly engage in nuisance behavior with high energy, without regard for the inconvenience it causes to others, in order to go viral ( goal-directed activity ), and will become angry and aggressive towards those who warn them, believing they are right . If they don't like something, they will "tailgate" and say it's your fault. There are also people who behave in a hierarchical manner, fawning on people who seem important or strong, and behaving arrogantly towards people they consider to be lower than themselves. When actual status is added to this, it can be difficult for those around them. In the family precepts of samurai families, there are also codes of conduct that warn against manic states.

When manic, the person puts himself first and is active and comfortable. If he gets into a good cycle, he will be very successful, and he may be flattered as a "hero who loves women" and feel good about it. On the other hand, his angry, arrogant and cruel behavior makes those around him fear and disgust him. Sometimes he may commit crimes or get into large debts. He may become Happy Money, Grumpy Money or a party animal . As a result, he loses friends, family, colleagues, social status and trust. However, he is generally considered to be responsible for his own actions, so he must take responsibility for his own crimes and debts.

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness diagnosed by manic and depressive states, but it is also a common illness with an average age of onset of 20.8 years and a lifetime prevalence of 4.4% (Merikangas et al., 2007) including close relatives. Due to their high competitiveness and energetic activities, some athletes, entertainers, and politicians are suspected of having bipolar disorder. Singer Mariah Carey has confessed that she has suffered from bipolar disorder for many years. It has also been reported that bipolar disorder increases the risk of completing suicide (Miller & Black, 2020), and Nobel Prize-winning author Hemingway, who ultimately committed suicide by shotgun, is also thought to have bipolar disorder. In addition, it has been reported that there is a high risk of lifestyle-related diseases (Huang K, et al., 2024).

Manic states are pathological conditions, and with proper treatment it is possible to return to one's "true self." However, the reality is that people who are not aware that they are ill ( lack of awareness of their illness ) have difficulty accepting treatment. In addition, manic states can be induced by antidepressants, steroids, and drugs of abuse , so those involved should be aware of this.