You are assessing a patient showing excitement. Before revealing the answer, decide how you would assess for this.

Observe the overall quality of the increased activity, since this often points toward the underlying cause: a cheerful, pressured, interfering quality with flight of ideas suggests mania; a deadpan, stiff quality suggests catatonic excitement; and a fearful, disorientated quality suggests delirium. Ask about recent alcohol consumption and the presence of violence disproportionate to the amount consumed, since this would raise the possibility of the specific, named pattern of pathological drunkenness. Assess for amnesia regarding the episode once it has settled, and note whether the usual physical signs of drunkenness, such as unsteady gait, are present or notably absent. Consider the overall clinical context, since excitement and stupor, though apparently opposite, often occur within the same underlying illnesses.