Flight of Ideas

blue-ink-in-waterA flight of ideas occurs when a person rapidly shifts between conversation topics, making his or her speech challenging or even impossible to follow.

What is Flight of Ideas?

A flight of ideas is so named because it seems like a person’s ideas are taking off in flight—seemingly all over the place. Someone experiencing idea flight often speaks very rapidly, jumping from topic to topic. The connections between his/her ideas are typically quite loose, and the rate of speech often increases. A person experiencing flight of ideas, for example, might deliver a 10-minute monologue during which he or she jumps from talking about childhood, to a favorite advertisement, to a moment of distorted body image, to political ideology, concluding with a rant about his or her favorite flower. It can be challenging for listeners to get a word in or to ask questions about the flight of ideas without prompting a new monologue from the speaker.

What Causes Flight of Ideas?

A person experiencing a flight of ideas may be extremely excited or anxious. Flight of ideas itself is not a mental health condition, but can be a symptom of one. People with bipolar who are experiencing mania may exhibit flight of ideas. Mania can feel like being sped up, and manic people may jump from idea to idea. Schizophrenia can also lead to a flight of ideas. Drugs that cause euphoria may also contribute to the symptom. Sometimes a person experiencing intense emotions—such as anxiety or joy—may experience a flight of ideas even if they have no underlying mental health condition.

How is Flight of Ideas Treated?

A person experiencing flight of ideas will typically have to be evaluated for other symptoms. If the symptom is caused by an underlying condition, then the focus of treatment will be on the underlying condition.

References:

  1. Davison, G. C., & Neale, J. M. (2001). Abnormal psychology. New York, NY: John Wiley.
  2. Flight of ideas. (n.d.). Health.com. Retrieved from http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20436786_11,00.html
  3. Purse, M. (n.d.). Flight of ideas. About.com Bipolar Disorder. Retrieved from http://bipolar.about.com/od/maniahypomani1/g/gl_flightofidea.htm

Last Updated: 08-7-2015