manic episode
a period characterized by elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, often with several of the following symptoms: an increase in activity or psychomotor agitation; talkativeness or pressured speech; flight of ideas or racing thoughts; inflated self-esteem or grandiosity; a decreased need for sleep; extreme distractibility; and intense pursuit of activities that are likely to have unfortunate consequences (e.g., buying sprees, sexual indiscretions). In DSM–IV–TR and DSM–5, a distinguishing criterion between a manic and a hypomanic episode is their duration, with manic episodes lasting at least a week and hypomanic episodes lasting at least 4 consecutive days. One or more manic episodes are characteristic of bipolar disorder. See also mixed episode.