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Bipolar Disease
Manic-depressive illness is a disorder that causes an individual to experience mood swings from depression to mania. In between these two extremes, a person usually experiences normal emotions and mood. The illness is also called bipolar disorder and it generally strikes a victim before the age of thirty-five.
The symptoms of manic depression are based are based on a persons mood that excessively good then rapidly changing into deep depression. The mood, in both cases, is usually unwarranted considering the person's overall situation or innate personality. The manic-depressive individual may possess an unwarranted optimism and grandiose delusion about their potential. They may feel that they possess a special connection with God, celebrities or political figures. Manic depressive illness can cause a person to become hyperactive. This may cause them to extend themselves too much and they try to engage in more activities than time allows. The manic state can also impair a person's judgment, causing them to drive too fast, spend money unwisely, and engage in sexual behavior unusual for the person.
Other symptoms include racing thoughts, that when spoken, are disorganized and incoherent to the listener. The decreased need for sleep allows the sufferer to go with little or no sleep for days, without feeling tired. The patient is easily distracted and attention is often riveted temporarily on unimportant details. They also experience irritability when when their unrealistic plans and expectations fail to materialize.
If left untreated, the manic phase can last as long as three months. As the mania diminishes, the person may have a period of normal mood and behavior, followed by the depressive phase of the illness. The depressive phase has the same symptoms as major depression.
The theories about the cause of manic-depression indicate a strong genetic basis to the biochemical malfunctions in the patient's brain. The disease is usually hereditary with the patient having the ability to identify a close relative with depression or manic-depressive disorder. As with other psychiatric conditions, manic depression is caused by biochemical imbalances.
The diagnosis of this disorder begins with a thorough medical evaluation. This allows the treater to either identify or rule our the other medical disorders that involve symptoms similar to bipolar disorder. An individual who has the symptoms but not the disorder may be taking steroids or amphetamines. They also could be suffering from thyroid, kidney or liver illness or multiple sclerosis. The medical evaluation is followed by a psychiatric assessment. After these steps are taken, the trained professional can work with the patient to devise the appropriate treatment plan.
Manic-depression has proven to be among the most treatable of the psychiatric
illnesses. Lithium is the most commonly prescribed medication for their disorder. It
reduces the severity and decreases the frequency of he patient's symptoms. The individuals
who have a family history of depressive illness, and who experience relatively normal mood
between the highs and lows, seem to respond best to lithium. Lithium is effective in
treating both the manic phase, and as a preventive measure to ward off depressive.
Scientists believe that lithium impacts the effect neurotransmitters has on brain cells,
thus reducing mood swings. Lithium must be monitored by a psychiatrist because of the
potential for harmfull side effects.
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