I think if you're prone to mania in the first place and you use anything that supresses stress and anxiety, and then abrubtly stop, you could go manic if you're prone to that sort of thing to begin with.
^Oh yeah, hypomania is great. I'm pleasant, sociable, I'm full of energy, I can sleep only 4 hours a night and then I'm ready to go! It kind of turns you into the guy thats just walking down the street on a nice day whistling to himself, and makes people say, "what's that guy so happy about!"....I'm also very calm, rational and insightful when I'm in that state of mind to the point where people call me asking for advice about their lives, and I'm happy to listen and give it to them! It's like a "calm" energy that's really better than any drug I can think of!
the funny thing about it, when I'm in that state, it's kind of strange but nothing really bothers me that much! I can put anything into perspective! People could die, I could get robbed or crash my car, and I'm just like, "such is life!"....
Oh Yeah, I've had strings of years that were like that, but I've always had to eventually pay with "major depression" for awhile, but that only lasts a few months and then it's back to Mr. cheerful! lol
I've had psychiatrist tell me I was hypomanic that were'nt really even concerned, they just wanted to keep an eye on it to make sure it didn't progress into mania, which it hardly ever does for me....
but I swear, I know I sound like a flake, but read about kundalini, you can actually raise and lower your moods with different chanting and meditating techniques, it's amazingly interesting to me....The whole feeling of energy starting at the base of your spine and moving up to your brain, the opeening of different chakras, these are things that happen kind of "randomly" with drugs, but the same states can be achieved by learning how to meditate on the different chakras....You can actually put yourself into a benzo like state or an amphetamine-like state or a "psychedelic" state naturally...It takes practice to do, but it's fascinating...
I'm not a "new age" weirdo at all, but I've experienced it and it's just amazing...It's hard to stick with though...it takes discipline and it can trigger psychosis if you don't know how to bring it back down....