Bipolar I disorder is classified as a type of bipolar disorder that is marked by full manic and major depressive episodes.

Bipolar II disorder is classified as a type of bipolar disorder that is marked by mild manic and major depressive episodes.

People experiencing mania swing to the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of symptoms from people experiencing depression. Those in a manic state typically experience dramatic and inappropriate rises in mood and activity. These symptoms span all areas of functioning—emotional, motivational, behavioral, cognitive, and physical. A person in a manic state has powerful emotions of euphoric joy. This intense euphoria drives them to want constant excitement, be very active, act flamboyantly, make hasty and impulsive decisions, experience feelings of inflated self-esteem, and remain active even when getting very little sleep.

A hypomanic episode is a period of persistently elevated or irritable mood that lasts for at least four days. This episode is markedly different from the person's usual mood, and it is not severe enough to cause occupational hazards or require hospitalization.

Those with rapid cycling bipolar disorder are classified as such when they have at least four manic or depressive episodes in one year.

Bipolar disorder has several sub-types. Bipolar I is defined by manic episodes that last at least a week, typically alternating with episodes lasting at least 2 weeks. Bipolar II disorder is characterized by a pattern of depressive episodes with some hypomanic episodes, but no full-blown manic episodes. Four or more episodes of depression, mania, or hypomania, all within one year, is called rapid-cycling bipolar disorder. Alternating episodes of depression and hypomania that last at least 2 years (but do not meet criteria for Bipolar I) is known as cyclothymic disorder. 

People with bipolar disorder experience both depressed and manic episodes, which can be variable in severity and managed in many ways. Bipolar I is characterized by extreme episodes of both mania and depression. Bipolar II is characterized by episodes of hypomania and severe depression.

Mood stabilizers are effective in stabilizing patients experiencing a manic period, and in maintaining symptom remission when the manic period has ended. While antipsychotic medication can also be prescribed to quell psychotic symptoms (e.g. hallucinations) that may occur in manic periods it is not the most common course of treatment.

Bipolar Disorder is the disorder in which someone alternates between episodes of mania and depression. Schizophrenia refers to a category of disorders involving delusional thoughts, paranoia, distorted thinking, hallucinations, and more. Generalized Anxiety Disorder refers to a condition in which the person suffers from constant, low-level anxiety. Disassociative Identity Disorder is a rare disorder in which a person exhibits two or more distinct, alternating personas. Disassociative Fugue is a condition in which one finds themselves in what they perceive to be an unfamiliar environment when in reality it is not.

A manic episode is one of the two elements of bipolar disorder (the other being depression) and it is characterized by heightened arousal and goal-oriented actions, including increased risk taking. Other symptoms of a manic episode include inflated self esteem, increased sex drive, increased speed of speech, and decreased need for sleep. 

Dysthemia (mild-grade depression) and hypomania (which is not as drastic as some other frank mania experiences) can cycle back and forth in "cyclothymia."