Manic Depression
(Bipolar Depression)
Manic depression, also known as bipolar
disorder, is a kind of mental or mood disorder that is characterized
by an extreme shift of one's mood in a period of time.
The shift of mood can be from an overly low
feeling or depression into extremely high emotion. The change from
mania to depression or depression to mania is called an episode.
Episodes of depression or mania vary from person
to person. One episode can last for a few days to several weeks or
months before changing into another emotion. Sometimes the emotional
transition doesn't immediately follow after an episode (depression or
manic); sometimes, transition can happen after a few weeks, months or
years.
There are people who can experience predictable
emotional patterns; and likewise there are some who do not.
A study made in 1973 revealed that among 400
patients observed with manic-depressive episodes, only 2 did not
experience recurrence. Meanwhile, some studies revealed that Lithium
reduced the risk of recurrence by about 75 percent.
In general, a person can recover from bipolar
disorder without undergoing treatment; however, a person can recover
more quickly if treatment is given.
There are 4 types of bipolar disorder according
to The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR).
Each has its own characteristics and each is used to diagnose the
level of damage that the illness inflicts to the person as well as the
kind of treatment to be applied:
1) Bipolar I requires the person to experience
at least one or more mixed or manic episodes. The Bipolar I patient is
not necessarily depressed, although, many who are diagnosed with this
category suffer from depression as well.
2) Bipolar II is characterized by one or more episodes of severe
depression and hypomania. Hypomania's presence is merely to establish
the bipolar condition from unipolar depression. (There are criteria to
determine if the person is experiencing hypomania.)
3) Cyclothymia. To determine if the patient is suffering from this
kind of depression, he or she must have several episodes of hypomamia,
combined with several episodes of depression (without reaching the
full criteria of clinical depression).
4) Bipolar Disorder NOS (Not Otherwise Specified). The patient should
not fall on any of the 3 criteria given above but still showing some
signs of bipolar disorder.
Symptoms of depression include severe sadness
that results in crying and tearfulness, isolation and boredom,
sensitivity to negative feedback and rejection, lack of concentration,
anger and irritability. They may also experience pessimism and
hopelessness, changes in sleeping and eating patterns, physical pain
such as headaches, back pain, muscle and joint pains, problems with
the digestive system and lethargy, restlessness, a lack of
self-confidence that could be the cause of low self-esteem and
thoughts of death or suicide
Symptoms of mania include excessive anger over
simple things, quick thinking and association of things that may or
may not be related to one another which can lead to poor judgment. A
significant change in physical energy, extreme irritability, change of
mood from normal to extreme, overreacting to stimuli, and high levels
of mania (including aggression, hostility, irritability, sexual drive,
paranoia, volatility, and psychosis),
There is no particular cure for bipolar disorder
that is why it is so important to know its types and symptoms because
armed with that knowledge, it can be managed properly. The emphasis
however is to treat the emerging symptoms and prevent the further
damage through psychotherapeutic and pharmacological techniques.
About the Author
The author of this article, Matthew OConnor runs
a site dedicated to the latest news and developments in depression
treatments, particularly dealing with the crucial question what
is manic depression?.
Article Source: www.freearticles.co.za
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