manic depression

For more information about manic depression check out Antipsychotic Help

Q: manic depression?
I tend to switch between being really hyper and happy almost to a point where it’s like I’m on something and being extremely depressed and not knowing why. I also had a grandfather who had manic depression (I’m not sure if it’s genetic but I’m just adding that in case it is.) Could I have it too? If so what should I do about it?
hah yes i agree weed definately helps
unfortunately i don’t have access to it very often

A: It is genetic and your odds are higher having a close relative who has/had it. What you describe could be indicative, but there’s more to it. See a psychiatrist who specializes in mood disorders for an evaluation. Your GP/PCP should be able to give you a referral. I have manic depression and suggest that you do get it checked to rule it out if nothing else.

Q: Manic depression?
I had a diagnosis for Manic depression many years ago. It was accurate considering my behaviors back then. These days, I’m different: I get the mania part every few months (as per normal), but NO depression. Any clue what my current deal might be? or whether or not I should attempt re-evaluation?
Thanx Alex, Cindy, and Lily. Wow Alex! I am in my early 30’s. I appreciate the heads up on this thing potentially getting worse.

A: Hi,

My rule of thumb is that if you are wondering if you should be re-evaluated, the answer is yes. If you are on any meds and your symptoms change (they sound like for the better!!), your doc should know that, too. Another difficult part of diagnosis of mental illness is the difficulty in diagnosing properly–and then the stigma that the label brings. If you were diagnosed that long ago…(it’s called Bipolar Disorder now) and your symptoms have changed, maybe you would leave the Dr. with a different diagnosis.

On the flip side, if you are not on meds, and feel as if your life is not being negatively affected by your periods of mania–and have not also had negative emotions or responses related to the label of manic depression, maybe let sleeping dogs lie…

Either way, good luck to you, and kudos for taking your own mental health seriously.

Q: Manic Depression?
After i was told i suffered from manic depression, i thought i’d do some research, and i once read that there was significant correlation between people born in december and those who suffer from bi-polar disorder, my birthday is on the 19th of december, and was just curious as to whether anyone knew this to be true, or if you could give me any other facts or something….i just like to know everything?

thanks

A: well i was born in march and i am bipolar and i was told this by more than one doctor that my case is from one of my parents so check into you family history or past and i might add that manic depression is part of my bipolar too and let me say it sucks. been taken meds since 1992 and sometimes they work and sometimes they dont so you need to see a doctor for any meds you might need

Q: How does manic depression affect your emotions?
How does manic dperession “work”?
I know that it makes a person happy and sad at extreme levels, but what is it about manic depression that causes those feelings? Hormone imbalance? Chemical reactors? Events? Ect? Please could someone help explain how it works?

A: People confuse “mood” with “emotion”. If someone goes from happy to sad (emotions), they think they have had a mood swing. Wrong, they had an emotion. Bipolar is not about having having emotions like anger, sadness….. nor is it about changing from one emotion to another really fast. It is about slowly changing moods….. A mood affects everything from your energy level, emotional response (which emotions you experience), sexuality, thought process, self esteem, appetite, whether or not you enjoy activities, etc……. Bipolar is about moving between a really high mood (mania) and a really low mood (depression) every couple of weeks or months.

It is a chemical imbalance in the brain…. like diabetes is a chemical imbalance in the body. It is inherited but needs a trigger to become active. Triggers can be anything from abuse, trauma, or a virus like the flu.
Here are some of my personal examples of the extremes. My moods generally last for a couple of months then there is a short period of being normal before I start to swing the other way

The low – Do not care about anything, stop showering, stop cleaning house, crying a lot, sleeping 14 hours a day, want to die but don’t have the energy to plan it, hating yourself for every little bad thing you have ever done….. feeling guilty about everything you have done while manic, knowing that everyone else hates you too. I feel like my mind has stopped working, thoughts are dulled, can’t read….. just lay there like a dead lump of nothing.

The High – these are symptoms as listed online followed by my examples

* FEELING EXTREMELY HAPPY OR IRITABLE* Like you just won the lottery or like your boss just cut your pay in half so he could give his daughter a raise but the feelings go on and on for weeks or months.

*INFLATED SELF ESTEEM* Believe that everyone loves you, everyone knows how smart, funny, pretty, sexy, you are. Think you are so good you can do anything.

* REDUCED NEED FOR SLEEP* 2 to 3 hours of sleep a night for weeks or months and you are never tired.

* TALK FASTER AND MORE THAN USUAL* Ramble on and on but the talk may be disjointed because thoughts are going by so fast you can’t get them out fast enough. It’s called pressured speech.

* BE MORE ACTIVE THAN USUAL* Needing to run 10 miles a day when you never used to even jog. Taking up 5 new hobbies.

* RACING THOUGHTS* Can be seen as confusion. It’s very confusing because your thought go by so fast and you have no control over them it’s like having 10 people all shouting at you at the same time.

* BE EASILY DISTRACTED BY SIGHTS AND SOUNDS* Ohhhh bright and shiny things. Because you have ceased to even try to listen to your own thoughts.

* ACT IMPULSIVELY, DO RECKLESS THINGS, REDUCED INHIBITION, SPENDING SPREES* Spending the mortgage money on furniture, buying 25 books about penguins because wouldn’t it be cute if they could be a colony,* DRIVE RECKLESSLY* 120 mph down back roads with the radio blaring and not really paying attention to the road because of all the bright shiny things, *GET INTO FOOLISH BUSINESS VENTURES* cashing out your 401k to invest in a worm farm or going deep into debt so you can gamble because you know you will win, *HAVE FREQUENT, INDISCRIMINATE, OR UNSAFE SEX* like sex with strangers (without a condom) or with your sisters husband or your husbands sister. Suddenly decide you are bisexual because the opportunity for twice as much sex is there…… Oh my I didn’t know I was into BDSM before… tie me up and flog me baby.

I am Bipolar 1 and while the other types of bipolar may not be as bad they are still much more extreme than the online symptoms portray. The above are things I have one while manic and that’s just a few of them.

Q: What should i do if my wife has manic depression?
My wife and I have been married for 8 yrs now with 3 children. I believe my wife has manic depression.
The problem is she is in denial and will not go for the necessary tests or diagnosing. This is very difficult at home to say the least. Constant verbal and physical abuse for about 5yrs now, towards myself and the kids.
Our oldest child is 6 and youngest 2.
I feel my job as a husband should be to support my wife but I always get hurt in the process. I take my marriage vows very seriously and am a born again christian, but am actually contemplating divorce.

Plz help me what should I do?

PS. Her mother believes she has it and her father had been hospitalised for 1-2 yrs for manic depression and is now on the maximum dossage you can give to someone before hospitalisation.

A: You can only confront her about it, but unless she is a physical danger to herself or others, it would be morally wrong to force treatment on her. Instead of playing psychiatrist and telling her she’s bipolar as that is something no one wants to hear since that means medication (and psych meds are hell), ask her if she’ll go to marriage counselling with you. It can help a little bit, at least with the verbal abuse. Just because she has violent mood swings doesn’t mean that she should be constantly abusive. She might want to try counselling herself. The medications are hell and personally, unless her bipolar is very severe or she wants to try them, I don’t think it’s worth the side effects.

Q: What is the difference between Bipolar Disorder and Manic Depression?
Every time I search for facts on Manic Depression, I get stuff on Bipolar Disorder instead, so is it the same thing?

A: I believe mental health professionals no longer use the term manic-depression, now it is officially called bipolar disorder.

Occasionally the DSM changes the names of certain disorders. For example there is no longer such a thing as ADD, now there is only ADHD with or without hyperactivity.

However, once a certain name has been used for so long, the name kinda sticks.

Q: How do I get my Manic Depression under control without taking Psyche Medication?
I don’t trust Psyche medication, as most of them have harsh side effects and none have been proven to work or do more good than bad.
How do I get my manic moods and depression under control.
And if any of you say Jesus or Allah or some stupid Deity I will come in to your home and **** your mom and anal rape your dad.

A: With great difficulty. I only know of 1 person who managed and they claimed it was spiritual or some crap like that. When I stop my meds I relapse within 2 weeks and end up hospitalised. You could self medicate with alcohol and illicit drugs, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

Q: What could come of someone w Manic Depression keeping it a secret and leaving it untreated?
I have a friend who confessed her condition with me. She hasn’t told anyone else, and she refuses to do any kind of treatment because she says meds make her feel unlike herself. I recently learned that manic depression is degenerative and I’m really worried. Would I break her trust by talking about my feelings with someone else? Should I voice my thoughts and suggestions or will she get offended?

A: Talk to her honestly about what you are feeling. She is a close enough friend to share this info, so you probably have a pretty tight and honest relationship. It doesn’t make sense to start keeping secrets and holding back how you feel now.

When you talk, share what you learned and how you feel. Don’t interrogate or be judgmental, however, that doesn’t mean you can’t ask why she’s making her choices. You also have to know that this is her choice and you can’t make it for her. The other thing that would be good to discuss is what she wants you to do if she becomes suicidal or goes manic. These will happen, and when they do big time, poof goes the secret. Anyway, getting her to think about a plan and how it would effect you might get her to think a little more.

So you know, many with bipolar have to go unmedicated in a form of denial for a while. How long ‘a while’ is depends on the person. As long as she’s not self-medicating, she’s more apt to seek treatment sooner rather than later.

And… she entrusted you with personal information. Unless sharing the info with others is necessary for your friend’s health, then don’t. There is a huge stigma, and the violation you would make by talking could well be irreparable.

Q: What dose manic mean in manic depression ?
I know what depression means but I can’t get my head around what manic is. How dose it affect people with this illness in the sense of their personality e.g temper, happy, or sad ?

A: The answers given so far give a good description of ‘mania’.
I would also say that mania does not always present as being elevated in mood and happy. When somebody is in a manic phase they can become very excitable, and their thought processes are extremely fast, often jumping from one thing to another. They can often become extremely frustrated with people around them, who they see as being slow and stupid because they can’t keep up. They may have bizarre or unrealistic ideas, spend a lot of money, set up doomed business ventures and they become very angry with people who try to reason with them, sometimes even violent. Episodes of mania can completely ruin people’s relationships with others, more so than the depression. But some people can be extremely creative during manic phases, particularly the artists that I have known with this disorder.

Q: How many people with bipolar/manic-depression are on answers to night?
Wanted to see who has been staying awake all night, that way I’ll have someone to chat with. The more research I read on manic-depression the more I learn to appreciate my illness and you the excellent talents that come with it. There has been a correlation found between manic-depression, intelligence, and creativity. Something to be proud of; we are all wonderful and talanted people.
Does anyone feel like chatting tonight?

A: My mother and mother in law are both bipolar. Currently waiting on tests that are supposed to say that I am as well. One big manic depressive family

Q: What are the symptoms of manic depression?
Well I have heard about this thing called manic depression or bipolar syndrome. I think I might have it can sombody explain the symptoms to me please? Thank you

A: In order to have bipolar disorder, you must have had at least one episode of mania and one episode of depression (one episode of mania is enough to diagnose it, but without depression, it’s unipolar mania). A manic episode lasts at least four days, and a depressive episode lasts at least two weeks. There are often periods of normality between the episodes, although it is possible – if rarer – to switch almost immediately between the two extremes. Episodes of both kinds can last weeks or even months. It is possible to have ultradian cycling bipolar disorder, where moods change within a day or even within a few hours, but this is extremely rare, and mood swings of that kind of duration are usually caused by another illness, such as Borderline Personality Disorder.

Symptoms of mania are:
- Euphoria and/or irritation
- Increased energy levels
- Decreased need for sleep
- Lowered inhibitions
- Racing thoughts
- Racing speech
- Reckless and uncharacteristic behaviour (spending all your money on things you don’t need, having sex with strangers, putting yourself in dangerous situations without even noticing they’re dangerous)
- Starting many different projects (and often failing to finish them)

Symptoms of depression are:
- Unhappiness
- Disturbance of sleep and eating
- Lethargy
- Low self-esteem (usually self-hatred)
- Feelings of guilt
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Isolation
- Suicidal thoughts

Episodes of mania and depression can both include psychosis (delusions and/or hallucinations), but mania and depression can and often do occur without the presence of psychosis.

In order to diagnose bipolar disorder, the symptoms of mania and depression have to cause significant impairment to your day-to-day life.

Q: How to help a friend with manic depression?
My best friend was diagnosed with manic depression couple of year back; recently its got pretty bad. Hes constantly saying how a lack of anything to look forward to or care about and recently just how emptly he feels. I’m worried he’s going to do something stupid, but I actually don’t know what to do to stop him.

Anyone got any advice as to how to, if not “cheer him up” at least make this more bearable for him?

A: Hi, I am 15 years old and I have manic depression, I have done very stupid things…And so on…
I think that… As long as he knows he got a good friend like you..Who are there for him and if he knows he can talk with you like this…. Its good.. Myself, I have nobody to talk to, and thats very very …Bad..

And a comment above said its about medication, its NOT. Anti depressive medications can help him, but as he have this diagnosed he probably do get meds for it. But they dont normally just automaticlly work on their own (personal experiance), you got to act on your own…Wich I dont, and I feel just as bad as when I dont take my meds, I think..

But as long as he got a nice friend like you..Who dont judge him for his disease.. And who is there and supports him.. I think he is happy for that, and tell him you are there for him if he needs to talk….Really…
I would be happy if I could have one who was there cheering me up…

Q: Are manic depression and Bipolar disorder really the same thing?
I was diagnosed with Manic Depression about three years ago. I stopped taking the meds after six months because I didn’t like what they do to me.

I have been having difficulty with my MD a lot lately–it’s been worse. Mood swings for no causes whatsoever. I was googling some alternatives to prescribed medication for Manic Depression and everything that came up was Bipolar disorder.

I knew that the two were similar–but are they really the same thing?

A: Yes, they are two names for the same disorder. Manic Depression is the old name for what is now called Bipolar Disorder. Professionals chose to discard the name “Manic Depression” or “Manic-Depressive Disorder” in favor of Bipolar Disorder because it is more accurate. Not all forms of bipolar cause manic episodes – bipolar II does not have manic features, but instead the patient suffers from “hypomanic” or “sub-manic” episodes. Cyclothymia also has these hypomanic features, as well as less profound depressive episodes. Because of the different varieties of the disorder, the name “Manic Depression” was misleading and inaccurate, so it was changed to Bipolar Disorder.

Hope that helps clear things up!

Q: Prozac pushed me to mania does this mean i have manic depression?
I was initially placed on Fluoxetine (i have previously been on it about 3 yrs ago) and it pushed me into mania, so i was prescribed Remeron (mirtazepine) and they have been working very well and i feel great. Because the Fluoxetine pushed me into a manic stage does this mean i have bipolar? Im slightly confused ccause ive read that this is often a sign of manic depression?

A: Zoloft pushed me into a mild mania for about four months. Medication-induced mania does not automatically mean you have Bipolar. Researchers still argue as to whether or not there is a “predisposition” to Bipolar on those who go manic on an antidepressant.

The DSM-IV, the “bible” of the American Psychiatric Association, rules out Bipolar Disorder if it is induced by a medication. An unofficial diagnosis of Bipolar IV, not on the DSM-IV, is sometimes used to describe people who *may* have some Bipolarity but have not demonstrated and organic type of the illness not brought on by medications.

People on ecstasy or cocaine can become manic and experience the highs of mania without being bipolar. This reason is why Bipolar is not considered such unless there is proof that a person demonstrates mania or hypomania without artificial drugs whether legal or illegal.

Q: What are the signs of manic depression?
I keep having high and then really low moments and then there are times when im really down and want to end everything but when this happens its not always after something bad has happened, it can just be an argument etc – am I showing signs of manic depression ?

A: Here are what physicians use to make the diagnosis of bipolar disorder (“manic depression”)….Bipolar disorders are of two main types which are similar but distinct…Since the information your are providing is not sufficient to make such a diagnosis, I thought it would be useful to give you this information and maybe you can judge better if you actually have bipolar disorder or not…

Bipolar I Disorder–Diagnostic Features (DSM-IV, p. 350):
The essential feature of Bipolar I Disorder is a clinical course that is characterized by the occurrence of one or more Manic Episodes or Mixed Episodes. Often individuals have also had one or more Major Depressive Episodes. Episodes of Substance-Induced Mood Disorder (due to the direct effects of a medication, or other somatic treatments for depression, a drug of abuse, or toxin exposure) or of Mood Disorder Due to a General Medical Condition do not count toward a diagnosis of Bipolar I Disorder. In addition, the episodes are not better accounted for by Schizoaffective Disorder and are not superimposed on Schizophrenia, Schizophreniform Disorder, Delusional Disorder, or Psychotic Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. . . .

Bipolar II Disorder–Diagnostic Features (DSM-IV, p. 359):
The essential feature of Bipolar II Disorder is a clinical course that is characterized by the occurrence of one or more Major Depressive Episodes accompanied by at least one Hypomanic Episode. Hypomanic Episodes should not be confused with the several days of euthymia that may follow remission of a Major Depressive Episode. Episodes of Substance- Induced Mood Disorder (due to the direct effects of a medication, or other somatic treatments for depression, a drug of abuse, or toxin exposure) or of Mood Disorder Due to a General Medical Condition do not count toward a diagnosis of Bipolar I Disorder. In addition, the episodes are not better accounted for by Schizoaffective Disorder and are not superimposed on Schizophrenia, Schizophreniform Disorder, Delusional Disorder, or Psychotic Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. . . .

Criteria for Major Depressive Episode (DSM-IV, p. 327)
A. Five (or more) of the following symptoms have been present during the same 2-week period and represent a change from previous functioning; at least one of the symptoms is either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure.
Note: Do not include symptoms that are clearly due to a general medical condition, or mood-incongruent delusions or hallucinations.
1) depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, as indicated by either subjective report (e.g., feels sad or empty) or observation made by others (e.g. appears tearful). Note: In children and adolescents, can be irritable mood.
2) markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day (as indicated by either subjective account or observation made by others)
3) significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain (e.g., a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month), or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day. Note: In children, consider failure to make expected weight gains.
4) insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day
5) psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day (observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down)
6) fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day
7) feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt (which may be delusional) nearly every day (not merely self-reproach or guilt about being sick)
diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day (either by subjective account or as observed by others)
9) recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide
B. The symptoms do not meet criteria for a Mixed Episode.
C. The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
D. The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition (e.g., hypothyroidism).
E. The symptoms are not better accounted for by bereavement, i.e., after the loss of a loved one, the symptoms persist for longer than 2 months or are characterized by marked functional impairment, morbid preoccupation with worthlessness, suicidal ideation, psychotic symptoms, or psychomotor retardation.

Criteria for Manic Episode (DSM-IV, p. 332)
A. A distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, lasting at least 1 week (or any duration if hospitalization is necessary).
B. During the period of mood disturbance, three (or more) of the following symptoms have persisted (four if the mood is only irritable) and have been present to a significant degree:
1) inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
2) decreased need for sleep (e.g., feels rested after only 3 hours of sleep)
3) more talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking
4) flight of ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing
5) distractibility (i.e., attention too easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant external stimuli)
6) increase in goal-directed activity (either socially, at work or school, or sexually) or psychomotor agitation
7) excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences (e.g., engaging in unrestrained buying sprees, sexual indiscretions, or foolish business investments)
C. The symptoms do not meet criteria for a Mixed Episode.
D. The mood disturbance is sufficiently severe to cause marked impairment in occupational functioning or in usual social activities or relationships with others, or to necessitate hospitalization to prevent harm to self or others, or there are psychotic features.
E. The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication, or other treatments) or a general medical condition (e.g., hyperthyroidism).
Note: Manic-like episodes that are clearly caused by somatic antidepressant treatment (e.g., medication, electroconvulsive therapy, light therapy) should not count toward a diagnosis of Bipolar I Disorder.

Criteria for Mixed Episode (DSM-IV, p. 335)
A. The criteria are met both for a Manic Episode and for a Major Depressive Episode (except for duration) nearly every day during at least a 1-week period.
B. The mood disturbance is sufficiently severe to cause marked impairment in occupational functioning or in usual social activities or relationships with others, or to necessitate hospitalization to prevent harm to self or others, or there are psychotic features.
C. The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication, or other treatment) or a general medical condition (e.g., hyperthyroidism).

Criteria for Hypomanic Episode (DSM-IV, p. 338)
A. A distinct period of persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, lasting throughout at least 4 days, that is clearly different from the usual nondepressed mood.
B. During the period of mood disturbance, three (or more) of the following symptoms have persisted (four if the mood is only irritable) and have been present to a significant degree:
1) inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
2) decreased need for sleep (e.g., feels rested after only 3 hours of sleep)
3) more talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking
4) flight of ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing
5) distractibility (i.e., attention too easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant external stimuli)
6) increase in goal-directed activity (either socially, at work or school, or sexually) or psychomotor agitation
7) excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences (e.g., engaging in unrestrained buying sprees, sexual indiscretions, or foolish business investments)
C. The episode is associated with an unequivocal change in functioning that is uncharacteristic of the person when not symptomatic.
D. The disturbance in mood and the change in functioning are observable by others.
E. The episode is not severe enough to cause marked impairment in social or occupational functioning, or to necessitate hospitalization, and there are no psychotic features.
F. The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication, or other treatment) or a general medical condition (e.g., hyperthyroidism).
Note: Hypomanic-like episodes that are clearly caused by somatic antidepressant treatment (e.g., medication, electroconvulsive therapy, light therapy) should not count toward a diagnosis of Bipolar II Disorder.

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