What is the difference between being manic and being high on drugs?

[noname223]

I have never took drugs. I don't know how it feels to be high on drugs. But I was several times in my life hypomanic. Being manic is really intensive. But I can't really compare it to being high on drugs.

Maybe someone can help? Someone who experienced both. Moreover it might differs from drug to drug.
I know a girl who is often really manic. On an extreme level and not hypomania. I think when someone quits lithium this can cause extreme manias and she does that regularly. She told me during her last mania she took really heavy drugs for the first time of her life. I think she took marihuana, speed (?) and cocaine (?). She told me there was no effect on her. Nothing happened because she was in an extremely high state of mania. So strong that the drugs had no effect on her. It sounded quite insane.

Can someone with experience educate us? Though I want to emphasize that I am pretty much anti-drugs and I think especially the psychoactive ones can be really risky.

 

[Oblivion Access]

It's not really similar and it differs from drug to drug, many drugs are more sedative than stimulating in nature or a mix of both, though it depends on person (I find weed almost always sedating and go nonverbal if I have too much, some people can't stop talking on it) dosage (low amounts of opiates can be more stimulating/antidepressant, higher amounts usually lead to sedation and nodding off), what specific drug within the class you're taking (oxycodone is generally considered a more stimulating opiate than something like heroin). Interestingly, quitting weed after a long period of dependence seems to trigger hypomania in me.

I will note that heavy stimulant and dissociative (drugs akin to ketamine and PCP) abuse alike can result in a mania like experience. I generally only experience relatively mild hypomania sometimes (big pupils, inflated ego, sleeping less, more sociable and talkative and less depressive than usual), but through MDMA abuse I've gotten to "enjoy" psychosis complete with days awake and seeing shadow people. A separate incident of amphetamine use that caused what I assume was a manic episode (complete with spending huge sums on regrettable choices) followed by some of the worst depression I've experienced. Apart from stimulant or dissociative induced mania, I'd say most drugged states are nothing like mania, though delusions and strange beliefs experienced on psychedelics and dissociatives might have some overlap.