Manic Depressive Disorder
(Bipolar Affective Disorder)
A prevalent mental illness which can result in severe disability is manic depression. This causes severe mood swings, which can significantly disrupt a person's life. There are a great variations in the pattern of mood swings, which can significantly disrupt a person's life. There are a great variations in the pattern of mood swings. At one extreme, people may experience bouts of depression and mania within hours of each other. Alternatively, mood swings may be years apart. Some people will persistently experience depression or mania, and have very few or no episodes of the opposite mood state. The level of disability also varies. Although many people with manic depression hold down demanding job, there are a significant minority of people whose lives are ruined, and who are as affected as someone with schizophrenia.
The causes of manic depression are not fully known. In a proportion of people, it appears to be hereditary. Major life events, such as bereavement or divorce, can trigger an episode of mania or depression, as can physical illness, especially for those who have a history of depression.
Manic Symptons
Manic episodes (also referred to as hypomanic or going high) are classically characterised by the person appearing inappropriately happy, then becoming extremely or depressed, with little or no warning. When manic, a person's thinking and speech are faster than normal. Their thoughts jump rapidly from one subject to another, which makes conversation with them difficult. They may, at times, have delusions and hallucinations similar to someone with schizophrenia, such as grandiose (where someone believes incorrectly that they are famous or have some special influence).
A manic person will usually be overactive, and sleep very little or not at all. They will be disinhibited, becoming uncharacteristically noisy, abusive, disruptive, provocative or promiscuous. This disinhibtion often causes people to make rash decisions e.g. to spend lots of money which can have serious financial and legal consequences.
Typical Manic Symptons
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Inappropriate happiness
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Fast speech and thinking
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Delusions
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Overactivity
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Disinhibition
Depressive Symptons
When depressed, a person's mood or feelings are severly and persistently low. They often describe a lack of energy, poor sleep, poor appetite and weight loss. They also experience poor concentration, and feelings of guilt or hopelessness. They may feel that life is not worth living and plan or attempt suicide. Symptoms are often worse in the evening.
People with severe depression can have paranoid ideas or auditory hallucinations which are critical and derogatory about them. As people with depression usually lose interest in things they enjoy, cancelling commitments and social withdrawal are important signs. Usually a person will realise that they are depressed, but sometimes they will deny their problems and insist nothing a wrong.
A diagnosis of manic depressive disorder will usually will be made by a psychiatrist after a person has had two or more significant mood swings.
Typical Depressive Symptons
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Severe low mood
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Lack of energy
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Poor appetite and sleep
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Poor concentration
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Feelings of hopelessness
Many people with manic depression live normal lives , for others it is severely disabling. Mania is characterised by fast thoughts and speech and disinhibition. Depression is persistent and severe low mood, characterised by social withdrawal, lack of interest in usual enjoyments, and poor sleep and appeitite.
Manic depression can often be successfully treated by mood stabilising Medication
