How To Recognize Manic Depression
By
Shalini Mittal
Submitted On June 11, 2014
Better known as Bipolar disorder, Manic Depression is often hard
to diagnose because most of its symptoms manifest in their full form
only during an episode. In many individuals, the disorder goes
undetected for years and the final diagnosis usually comes after the
person has sought treatment for other psychological conditions namely
depression and anxiety.
Manic depression is a serious psychiatric illness. Mood swings coupled with frequent hallucinations and delusions makes it hard for one to go about his or her everyday life with ease. It also affects a person's relationships. Understanding the possible symptoms of manic depression will help you identify the condition at the earliest enabling you to seek timely treatment.
The symptoms vary by individual. They also manifest in varying degrees depending upon the severity of the condition.
Mood Swings
Manic depressive psychosis is a mood disorder characterized by extreme shifts in mood. The person might experience an episode of clinical depression or a mania episode or a mixed episode exhibiting signs of both depression and mania.
Those experiencing depression exhibit the following symptoms:
Changes in sleep patterns occur just before the onset of manic depression. Persons suffering from this mental disorder require very little sleep. The sleeplessness can extend for days. Despite this, they have enough of energy, in fact quite a lot, to go about with the next day's activities.
Hallucinations
One of the predominant symptoms of manic depression is the occurrence of hallucinations. This mental condition distorts the person's perception of reality. As such, they tend to see people or hear voices that are not present in reality. Hallucinations are a serious and needs to be brought to the notice of a medico.
There is no test that will help diagnose manic depression. A psychiatric will conduct a physical exam, evaluate symptoms and consider the individual's psychiatric history before he comes to a conclusion. As a far as medications are concerned, the doctor prescribes mood stabilizers, antidepressants and anticonvulsants. Severe cases demand hospitalization for short durations.
Manic depression is a serious psychiatric illness. Mood swings coupled with frequent hallucinations and delusions makes it hard for one to go about his or her everyday life with ease. It also affects a person's relationships. Understanding the possible symptoms of manic depression will help you identify the condition at the earliest enabling you to seek timely treatment.
The symptoms vary by individual. They also manifest in varying degrees depending upon the severity of the condition.
Mood Swings
Manic depressive psychosis is a mood disorder characterized by extreme shifts in mood. The person might experience an episode of clinical depression or a mania episode or a mixed episode exhibiting signs of both depression and mania.
Those experiencing depression exhibit the following symptoms:
- Loss of appetite resulting in weight loss. In some cases it is the opposite. A person might overeat causing excessive weight gain.
- Experiencing persistent sadness and anxiety.
- Feeling lethargic and low on energy.
- Loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed such as work, a hobby or even sex.
- Some harbor feelings of guilt, hopelessness and worthlessness. These feelings can be dangerous as it drives the person to harm himself or those around him. Such individuals display higher suicidal tendencies.
- Withdrawal from social life; they prefer to live in isolation.
- The inability to concentrate on tasks. They demonstrate impaired judgment and are thereby unable to make the right decisions at the right time.
- Unlike a depressive episode the person experiences a sudden burst of energy. He or she looks for ways to expend this energy explaining their rash behavior. The patient might go on a spending spree.
- Unexplained irritability and hostility.
- Increased talkativeness where the speech sounds pressurized and labored.
- Hyper-sexuality is also an important symptom characterizing a manic episode. Your spouse might suddenly have an increased sexual desire. In order to satiate their sexual drive, they might visit pornographic sites, make purchases there or call sex numbers.
- Persons suffering manic depression often complain that their thoughts race uncontrollably.
- Mania may also trigger grandiose beliefs about oneself and abilities. For example, a person might suddenly declare that he is going to quit his job to create a video game or that he has been made the president of a country.
Changes in sleep patterns occur just before the onset of manic depression. Persons suffering from this mental disorder require very little sleep. The sleeplessness can extend for days. Despite this, they have enough of energy, in fact quite a lot, to go about with the next day's activities.
Hallucinations
One of the predominant symptoms of manic depression is the occurrence of hallucinations. This mental condition distorts the person's perception of reality. As such, they tend to see people or hear voices that are not present in reality. Hallucinations are a serious and needs to be brought to the notice of a medico.
There is no test that will help diagnose manic depression. A psychiatric will conduct a physical exam, evaluate symptoms and consider the individual's psychiatric history before he comes to a conclusion. As a far as medications are concerned, the doctor prescribes mood stabilizers, antidepressants and anticonvulsants. Severe cases demand hospitalization for short durations.
Click Here to Know more about How to recognize Depression Symptoms in Children and Adults.
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