Depression, at least the type we associate with sagging shoulders, a sense of being dead inside, and crying, is easy to recognize. Like a book cover, depression is mostly visible on our faces. However, mania! Oh, craziness! It can appear to be joy! Alternatively, anger or someone finally emerging from a depressive state and regaining their sense of self.
This is Julie Fast. The photos on the left were all taken the same year. In one, she is euphoric hypomanic, and in the other, she is depressed. Over 20 years ago, she began keeping track of her facial changes as a result of emotional swings. She knew her face altered based on her emotions, but she did not realize how much until she photographed it.
What Is Mania, Exactly?
In bipolar disorder, there are two stages of mania. Hypomania and full-blown mania are symptoms of bipolar illness. Bipolar disorder 1 has hypomania and full-blown mania. Bipolar disorder two only has hypomania.
The two types of mania are euphoric and dysphoric. In simple terms, euphoric mania is an energized good mood. Dysphoric mania is an energized bad mood.
With euphoric mania, eyesight changes dramatically: colors become incredibly vivid and begin to move around as if they are vibrating. On the other hand, dysphoric mania, on the other hand, causes vision to constrict, causing eyes to appear angry and rarely notice colors.
Three Ways to Spot Mania in the Eyes
1. Euphoric Mania with Sparkling Eyes.
The liquid in the eyes typically has a shimmering appearance during euphoric mania. The eyes appear bright. It will need more research to determine whether the alterations are just due to mania or whether there is a true shift in the aqueous covering of the eyes.
2. Dysphoric Mania Causes Darker Eyes.
There are a lot of anecdotes about how dysphoric mania made people’s eyes black. Adrenaline has been shown to cause the pupil to assume control of the eye. Mania sounds like it has something to do with adrenaline. Therefore, this results in an all-black eye.
3. The Shape of the Eyes Alters.
With euphoric mania, the eyes open as if shocked, whereas, with dysphoric mania, the eyes shrink and become cruel. This is not something that happens for a few minutes. The effects can continue for months.
Researchers believe that dysphoric mania can make people more suspicious, which causes the eyes to narrow and the lips to pucker. During a euphoric episode, on the other hand, people tend to be more open to the universe and their eyes enlarge.
There is still a lot to discover on how mania exactly affects the eye internally and externally. But, for now, this piece of data can be a stepping stone to interpreting the episodes of manic people simply through their eyes.
