Manic depression, also known as bipolar syndrome, consists of severe mood swings that interfere with a person’s ability to lead a productive life. Most manic depression sufferers experience long phases of euphoric feelings when they cannot sleep and their minds race constantly. These manic phases are followed by deep depressions that can be so severe that the person sleeps for days or weeks at a time. If recognized, manic depression can be managed with proper medication that helps level out the severity of the mood swings so that the sufferer can maintain a healthy routine.
Manic Phase Symptoms
- insomnia
- restlessness
- poor judgment
- inability to focus
- reckless behavior
- feeling of invincibility
- limited impulse control
Depression Phase Symptoms
- hopeless
- listlessness
- extreme apathy
- eating disorders
- changes in weight
- thoughts of suicide
- thoughts of self-mutilation
- extreme changes in appetite
Combined Behavior Markers Over Time
It is necessary to observe both manic and depressive behavior patterns for a person to truly be diagnosed with bipolar disorder/manic depression. Mania and depression alone are treated very differently than manic phases followed by depressed phases. Each phase lasts different lengths of time for different individuals. There is really no standard time frame for the manic or depressive episodes. The shift between manic and depressive moods is not always fast, either. A person may slowly drift from manic behavior into depressed behavior, then slowly shift back again. It is when the phases are at their most severe that the syndrome can be recognized the most accurately. Some people who suffer from manic depression will experience psychotic episodes, such as hallucination, which can be misdiagnosed as a different psychotic disorder in some cases.
Early Symptoms Of Manic Depression
There are some early warning signs that a person may be heading toward manic depression. Hypomania is a milder form of mood swings that does not exhibit such dramatic changes in a person’s behavior. A person with hypomania primarily shows signs of the manic behavior rather than the depressive behavior. If left untreated, hypomania can descend into full-blown manic/bipolar depression over time.
