10 Symptoms of Manic Depression
The brain is a very complicated organ, one that we have barely started learning about. With such a complicated organ there is a lot that can go wrong, and it sometimes does. This includes mental disorders such as manic depression, which is a condition that has continued to be studied. For now, all that can be done is to try and limit the severity of the symptoms as much as possible.
Manic depression, also known as bipolar disorder, has the potential to be extremely damaging 1https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=4273. It can ruin the life not only of the person with the condition but also of those around them. In addition to periods of heightened mania, bipolar disorder also involves bouts of serious depression. Other symptoms of manic depression can also be severe, and anybody with the condition will need medical and psychological assistance.
Symptom #1: Substance Abuse
The use of alcohol and drugs are widespread regardless of the harm they can cause. Legal drugs such as alcohol are commonly consumed, with many people enjoying a few drinks on weekends. While there is a very real risk of dependency and other health problems, most of us are lucky to consume such substances without creating dependency or addiction.
Somebody with manic depression, however, will go through bouts of emotional or mental ups and downs that encourage them to self-medicate with substances. Instead of using alcohol and other drugs in moderation, they will use them in excess and this leads to problems. The risk of dependency increases, while other health issues are also heightened.
Symptom #2: Erratic Behavior
Most of us usually have lives that are fairly predictable. We go to work, return home, eat, watch TV and generally follow a certain routine. Our weekdays, in particular, tend to be structured as we have commitments, although we often become less predictable during weekends.
However, for people with manic depression everyday life tends to be a lot less predictable. They tend to display erratic behaviors that can cause havoc to their daily routines. They also tend to be very promiscuous, choosing to have sex impulsively with different partners. Their behaviors can place a considerable strain on personal and professional relationships.
Symptom #3: Suicidal
When we are down, we can feel pretty terrible. It can be difficult to shake off whatever it is that is upsetting us, and we tend to avoid doing the things we normally enjoy. As unpleasant as it might be though, we usually manage to be able to keep on going until we eventually pull through to a more positive mental state.
For people with manic depression, however, it can seem as though there is no hope in sight. They can feel as though everything is terrible, that they are worthless, and that there is no chance for recovery. This can lead to thoughts of suicide, which is a genuine risk with somebody who suffers from manic depression. If you do know of someone that is harboring such thoughts, you should advise them to seek medical help as soon as possible.
Symptom #4: Shopping Sprees
Spending money can be fun. Coming home with lots of new belongings is exciting, and it feels great to be able to give to other people. However, our finances tend to be limited so we need to be mindful of how much shopping we do. Most of us are reasonably sensible when it comes to spending, but it can easily get out of control for people with manic depression.
During periods of mania, spending inhibitions can disappear. Because everything feels good and is believed to continue to feel good, spending money is also fine since everything will be ok. Unfortunately, when they don’t have anything left to spend they may even turn to loans they can’t repay to buy what they want. They will gladly buy lavish, expensive items for themselves and for others, regardless of whether or not they can afford to.
Symptom #5: Guilt
Manic depression can destroy lives. Its destructive symptoms can ruin the lives of the sufferer and cause havoc to the lives of people around them. People can be hurt, and jobs can be lost, leaving a trail of destruction in the lives of the people close to sufferers.
It’s not their fault, though. They don’t want to be the way they are, they’d much rather live a normal life just like everybody else. Regardless, people with manic depression are aware of the impact of their actions and tend to feel terrible guilt about it. When they are not on manic highs, they are likely to be tormented with guilt over all the harm they have caused. It might make them wish that they were not around to do any more harm.
Symptom #6: Pressured Speech
Good, confident orators are able to speak clearly and at a pace that is easy for everybody to keep up with. When nervous, it can be easy to speak too quickly, in which case it can be difficult for people to keep up with what you are saying. For those with bipolar disorder, speaking very quickly and erratically is a symptom that makes it difficult for anybody to track what they are saying.
Pressured speech is the clinical term applied to people that speak far too quickly as a result of a condition such as manic depression. Not only does it entail speaking too quickly, but also with exaggerated urgency. Mania sufferers will also tend to continue speaking no matter how hard somebody might try to interrupt. It can be as though they are speaking to themselves or just speaking at people, rather than speaking with people.
Symptom #7: Depression
There is considerable ignorance over the difference between being down and clinical depression. We all get down sometimes, often as a result of something that has happened, but the cause of our unhappiness is something we can usually deal with. It can take time, but we usually recover to become happy again.
Bipolar depression, on the other hand, is not necessarily being unhappy because something bad has happened. Sufferers can’t just go for a run or go out with friends to shake it off. It is something that remains with them and there is not a lot they can do about it without medical treatment.
Symptom #8: Mania
It’s good to be happy, but it is important that we don’t allow our good mood to cloud our judgement too much. Most of us are able to stay within reason when we are in a good mood. We might feel more generous or more forgiving toward people, and more likely to laugh, but it is all usually well within reason.
One of the symptoms of manic depression, however, is a sense of happiness that is beyond normal levels. This mania can lead to terrible decision making that can be damaging to the person with the condition and those around them. Somebody with manic depression will also find that their moods can swing drastically so when there’s mania, severe depression is usually not far away.
Symptom #9: Inflated Ego
We have all met somebody that has a very high opinion of themselves. It is not uncommon for some people to have a huge ego, but this is not usually something that can be considered clinical. Most of us tend to have far more balanced opinions of ourselves, and we will often accept the bad as well as the good.
When somebody with manic depression is going through a manic phase, however, their sense of self-worth can go through the roof. They will consider themselves to be the best and the funniest person around and will often become quite the exhibitionist. Their sense of superiority might even cause them to hurt others’ feelings as they speak down to people as though they are inferior.
Symptom #10: Erratic Thought Patterns
Everybody has experienced confusion at some point. Information can be difficult to understand or there may be too much to process, making it hard to focus on one thing. For simpler matters though, we usually have little difficulty in focusing on the task at hand and coming to a reasonable solution.
However, for people with manic depression it can be very difficult to stay on a single train of thought. They can jump from one completely irrelevant train of thought to another for no reason, often making a connection between the two unrelated topics. This symptom is most noticeable when sufferers are speaking, as they find it difficult to keep on topic and form coherent sentences.
