Mania

Mania is a mental health condition where someone experiences abnormally high levels of extreme changes in moods or emotions, energy level or activity level.

Mania is very individual and while some might find their mania episodes to be very distressing and uncomfortable others might find them very enjoyable and pleasant. You might have mania on its own or you might have mania as part of another mental health issue such as bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, postpartum psychosis or schizoaffective disorder.

There are two types of mania, there is hypomania and mania. Below you can find more detailed descriptions of both conditions.  

Hypomania

Hypomania is a milder version of mania which usually lasts for shorter periods of time. Yet it can impact your day-to-day life by changing your moods and behaviours, these changes can sometimes be observed by family and friends. Compared to mania, people who experience hypomania can often continue with their lives in a relatively normal manner.  

For more information about hypomania such as how you might feel and how you might behave can be found on Mind.

Mania

Mania is a more serious form of hypomania which more severely impacts your day-to-day life. Mania episodes last longer than hypomania episodes. There is no set time frame for how long mania episodes last but usually it is around a week or longer. Severe cases of mania can largely impact your ability to perform everyday tasks and sometimes even stop you from performing those tasks. 

Mania is very individual and is experienced differently by individuals. This means that the way mania is treated also depends on the individual’s experiences with mania. Mind has composed a list of symptoms of how you might feel and what you might experience.

After an episode of hypomania or mania

Sometimes you might only realise that you have experienced a hypomanic or manic episode until afterwards. Mind has composed a list of how you might feel after a hypomanic or manic episode.

How can the University Support you?

If you know that you experience episodes of either hypomania or mania it is a good idea to notify the University as soon as possible. This will ensure that you get the support you need and that the right people know about it when you do experience an episode.  

If you live in halls, it is a good idea to notify a member of the hall warden team so that they are aware of it. If you feel comfortable to talk about it, it might also be a good idea for you to tell any house or flatmates so that they know what to expect and know the signs of an episode and can get help.  

The University can offer you support from the Mental Wellbeing team. You should arrange a meeting with a member of the team for them to evaluate what type of support you might want and for you to say what type of support you would like. This way if an episode does take place, you will have a system in place to get you back on track.  

Additionally, if you feel like your episodes impact your studies you should talk to your academic tutor as a first step. It could be that you are referred to a member of the Mental Wellbeing team who can then make appropriate changes to assessments or provide other forms of support.  

If you have experienced an episode during an assessment or if an assessment has been affected by an episode you can submit a mitigating circumstances claim.  

What to do next?

If you are in immediate danger, you should call emergency services on 999 or campus security on 0800 526866. If you feel like you can’t call for help by yourself, you should ask someone else to do it for you or if you live in halls call the subwarden duty number.  

Notify the University

Notify the University if you know that you experience hypomanic or manic episodes. If you are an applicant you should let the University know about your episodes by using the Disability and Health Portal.

If you are a current student you can book an appointment with the Student Wellbeing Team using the Online Referral Form

Contact Wellbeing Team

Get in contact with the mental wellbeing team if you feel like your episodes impact your mental wellbeing or if you think you might need their support. 

Contact your Academic Tutor

Talk to your academic tutor and discuss the impact that your episodes have on your studies or the impact that your episodes could have on your studies. 

Submit a Mitigating Circumstances Claim

Submit a mitigating circumstances claim if your assessment(s) have been affected by an episode. You can find more information about mitigating circumstances in the student handbook

What should I do if I am worried about somebody else?

If someone is in immediate danger, you should call emergency services on 999 or campus security on 0800 526866 

If you feel unsure about what to do and you live in halls, you can call the subwarden duty number and ask for their help.  

If you know someone who is experiencing a hypomanic or manic episode, it might be difficult for you to deal with. You can find information about how you can help someone who is dealing with an episode on Mind's Website.

External Resources

Last Updated: 30th August 2022