I have a general question about Manic episodes. Moreover, I'm trying to figure out if my lifelong friend just started a manic episode.

Okay - well, I KNOW he started a manic episode. This guy pretty much defines what a manic episode is. Inability to sleep, stop talking, talk about one thing for more than 4 seconds. He was elated, etc etc etc. Massive personality change, etc.

I've known him for 15 years and he has been a calm, quite, collected individual. And indeed, when I last saw him Sunday afternoon, he was his normal self. He self admittedly started acting Manic on Tuesday. When I talked to him that night, he couldnt stop talking, had little if no continuity in his rantings. He's being impulsive, etc. In any case - looking back in my abnormal psych book - he seems to be expressing a strong but not debilitating manic episode.

With that background, here is my question. Do manic episodes come on strong out of the blue? He has not been depressed that I know off. And this is definitely the first Manic "Episode (his word) he has ever had. And, I would definitively say that his level of activity and talking has at least tripled. He is no longer the person I knew him to be on a personality basis.

I seem to remember from my classes that adult onset is rather common - but is it "Onset" or ... onrush?
Do major manic episodes happen to all of us from time to time.