Flight of ideas is a symptom of several psychiatric disorders, most especially bipolar I disorder during manic phases and schizophrenia. This rapid flow of talk that appears to jump from subject to subject, and where subjects aren’t related to each other is also occasionally associated with conditions like attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This association deserves some qualification. Very young children may exhibit flight of ideas normally, though as they mature they usually grow out of this. The condition is considered unusual in people who are old enough to stay on topic, but cannot seem to, even if they are trying.

As stated, rapid talking quickly shifts from one subject to another without transitions or breaks, and can continue for long periods. An example of this could be the following, usually spoken in a rapid manner: “I don’t know what I’m going to do about Tony. Well there’s the neighbor’s dog barking again. Did you realize there are three weeks left until June? Man it’s hot in here. There’s a sale down at the mall I just can’t miss.”

The example makes it clear that there’s little relationship of one subject to another, as if the mind can’t focus and can’t control thought direction. Thoughts are on flight, coming in rapid-fire sequence that makes little sense. Many people with psychiatric disorders state they feel this flight of ideas whether or not they voice them, and this can have a disorienting effect, or it can feel like the person’s ability to think is particularly augmented.

This condition occurs for people with bipolar disorder mostly when they're in a manic state, and there’s argument as to whether those who have bipolar II and who are in hypomanic states express this trait often. In schizophrenia, flight of ideas might occur anytime the illness is in progress and thoughts could be even more disconnected or reference delusions of the schizophrenic. In the example above, the ideas are relatively mundane, but in either bipolar mania or schizophrenia, thoughts can bear much less on the real and be difficult to understand. ADHD flight of ideas could vary in quality of reality too, depending on things like age of person expressing them.

In all cases, the symptom of flight of ideas is evidence of a mind at great unrest, and a person who is probably not responding well to treatment. People with longterm bipolar disorder are likely expressing that medications need to be changed or adjusted because they are undergoing med destabilization. Schizophrenics, too, who are already in treatment, are likely to need additional help at this stage.

This symptom can also be one of the first notable symptoms of ether of these diseases or of ADHD. What this means is that flight of ideas suggests medical care is required so that the person does not destabilize further. Even with medication adjustments or first treatment of an illness, it may take a while for meds to resolve flight of ideas.