Manic Depression
Manic depressive refers to mood swings from overly “high” (manic) to overly “low” (depressed). Another name for manic-depressive illness is bipolar disorder. This refers to a person’s mood alternating between “poles” of mania (highs) and depression (lows). Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that causes unusual changes in the person’s mood, energy, and ability to function. Depression or mania is diagnosed if a person demonstrates a certain number of symptoms. Interestingly, a mood change is not a necessary symptom for the diagnosis of depression or mania.

A manic-depressive illness or “bipolar mood disorder” is a disturbance of a person’s mood characterized by alternating periods of depression and mania. Switching from one mood to another is referred to as a mood swing. Mood swings can be mild, moderate or severe and are accompanied by changes in thinking and behavior. Mania is an extreme sense of well-being, energy and optimism. It can be so intense that it affects your thinking and judgement. You may believe strange things about yourself, make bad dec Manic depression is a treatable illness which is found in about one percent of the population. It often first occurs in the late teens or early ’20s. People with manic depression experience periods of depression as described earlier, as well as periods of mania.

During an episode of mania, a person may have some or all of the following symptoms: excessive energy, racing flights of ideas, vigorous denial that anything is wrong, pressured speech, grandiose thoughts or inflated self-esteem, overspending, high heart rate and irregular breathing, alternating decreases and increases of sleep, impaired judgement, extreme irritability or rapid, unpredictable mood changes.isions, and behave in embarrassing, harmful and – occasionally – dangerous ways.

Everyone has occasional highs and lows in their moods. But people with bipolar disorder have extreme mood swings. They can go from feeling very sad, despairing, helpless, worthless, and hopeless (depression) to feeling as if they are on top of the world, hyperactive, creative, and grandiose (mania). This disease is called bipolar disorder because the mood of a person with bipolar disorder can alternate between two completely opposite poles, euphoric happiness and extreme sadness.
The extremes of mood usually occur in cycles. In between these mood swings, people with bipolar disorder are able to function normally, hold a job, and have a normal family life. The episodes of mood swings tend to become closer together with age.

From high to low. From mania to depression. From recklessness to listlessness. These are the extremes associated with bipolar disorder, a mental illness characterized by mood instability that can be serious and disabling. Bipolar disorder is also known as manic-depression or manic-depressive illness — manic behavior is one extreme of this disorder, and depression is the other.

Manic depression often is not recognized by the patient, relatives, friends or even physicians. However, recognizing the mood states that occur is essential. Treatment can help a person with bipolar disorder avoid harmful consequences such as destruction of personal relationships, job loss and suicide.

All antidepressants can cause swings from depression to hypomania or mania and sometimes cause rapid swings between them. Therefore, these drugs are used only for short periods, and their effect on mood is closely monitored. At the first sign of a swing to hypomania or mania, the antidepressant is discontinued. Optimally, most people with manic-depressive illness should be given mood-stabilizing drugs, such as lithium