Bipolar disorder formally known as “manic depression” is a mental health disorder that causes extreme mood swings and in severe cases, the patient starts hallucinating. Sometimes it becomes complicated to handle such patients and relatives prefer to send patients to a mental asylum for proper clinical and psychological care.
However early-stage diagnosis of manic depression and proper management of manic depression can help to shorten the mental asylum requirements of patients.
What are the types of Bipolar disorder or manic depression?
Previously known as manic depression, Bipolar disorder has 4 major types according to the National Alliance of Mental Illness.
- Bipolar I disorder: The most common out of the four types is Bipolar I disorder. In this type of Bipolar disorder, manic episodes are more prevalent than the depressive stage. Sometimes mania becomes too severe the patient might require hospitalization of 1 week or longer.
- Bipolar II disorder: In this type, depression is more prevalent—the patient’s mood shifts between hypomania and depressive episodes.
- Cyclothymic disorder: Cyclothymia involves repeated mood swings in between hypomania and depression and lasts for more than two years. A normal mood is also seen in this disorder but can persist for only under eight weeks.
- Unspecified Bipolar disorder: When no diagnostic criteria of all three categories are met but still experiences periods of clinically significant abnormal mood swings is considered as Unspecified Bipolar disorder.
What can cause Manic Depression?
The exact cause behind bipolar disorder is still unknown but experts believe that some factors might play an important role in bipolar disorder or manic depression.
- Genetic or history of bipolar disorder in any family members
- Some stressful trigger points like breaking down in relationships, broken families, abusive childhood, or any other physical or mental trauma
- Chemical imbalance in the brain
- Unhealthy lifestyle
These are some factors that can be associated with bipolar disorder. People with bipolar disorder or manic depression have a high chance of being victimized or developing Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
What are the symptoms of manic depression?
As we already know in bipolar depression, two types of mood swings can occur. In the manic phase, symptoms can include—
- Euphoria
- High level of energy and activity
- Irritable attitudes
- Sleep deprivation
- Rapid thoughts
- Recklessness
- Psychosis: Hallucination or imagining something that is not real and delusions
The depressive phase’s symptoms can include—
- Low mood
- Anxiety
- Loss of interest in daily life activities
- Changes in eating patterns
- Weight loss or weight gain
- Fatigue
- Feeling of worthlessness or guilty
- Poor concentration
- Indecisiveness
- Suicidal thoughts or attempts
What is the treatment of manic depression?
Effective therapy for manic depression can help patients who are diagnosed in the primary stages of mental asylum presence. Some effective treatment strategies are—
- Psychotherapy or counseling by an expert psychologist
- Medication therapy by a licensed clinical psychiatrist
- Development of self-management strategies
- Changes in lifestyle or mental health and physical health relaxation by exercise, yoga, and meditation
- Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the final stage when medication fails to treat
Final thoughts
Manic depression is a lifelong mental health condition so treatment might be a lifelong commitment. Patients with bipolar disorder might develop other disorders like ADHD and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) which can be more difficult to handle the patient. The early stage of diagnosis and proper therapy can help to prevent patients from staying in the mental asylum or having electroconvulsive therapy (shock therapy). When a patient is diagnosed with manic depression, his/her family and friends should be more careful towards them. With proper management, this disorder can be controlled for a lifetime.
