frenzies

Frenzy refers to a state of intense, often chaotic excitement or agitation in which an individual or group acts with heightened emotion and diminished self-control. In ordinary usage, frenzy conveys speed, energy, or aggression rather than a precise diagnosis. The term has both clinical and figurative uses, depending on context.

Causes can be psychological, neurological, or environmental: manic episodes, delirium, intoxication, sleep deprivation, extreme stress, or trauma. Physiologically, frenzy involves heightened arousal and sympathetic activation, with rapid speech, impulsive actions, increased movement, and reduced attention to consequences. In crowds, social influence, rumor, and shared emotion can push a group into a collective frenzy.

Individual frenzies appear in medical contexts as mania, delirium, or acute agitation; they are dangerous and require assessment and care. Collective frenzies occur in crowds during protests, riots, or sports spectacles, where heightened arousal and conformity can escalate behavior. Historically, reports of mass panic or hysteria describe non-professional frenzy driven by fear or misinformation.

In medical and casual language, frenzy is described as symptomatic rather than a diagnosis. Clinicians typically identify underlying causes such as mood disorders, delirium, intoxication, or neurologic illness, and treat accordingly. Culturally, the term remains a metaphor for rapid, unrestrained activity more than a distinct clinical entity.