Basic Information About Manic Depression
Manic depression is a serious mental
illness that can leave a person down, isolated, and unable to
keep or maintain a job. This is why it is so important to treat
and deal with manic depressive disorder as early as possible.
However, treating the condition can be difficult if you do not
even know that you have it.
Like any medical issue, there are symptoms of manic
depression. Sadly, these symptoms are hard to spot in some
people because manic depression is not all doom and gloom.
Instead, there are times when someone with manic depression
will experience great joy and happiness, and there will be
times where their sense of hopelessness it deep and profound.
However, if you know which symptoms to look out for, you can
definitely spot a person with this condition. The following are
some of the more common symptoms of manic depression.
Mood Changes
People with manic depression often move from mood to mood as
if they were giving a person a handshake. If you know someone
who can be happy one minute and then cold or sad the next, then
this mental condition may be at play. The highs of manic
depression are very high and the lows are very low. In the
course of a single conversation, someone with this condition
may experience a gauntlet of emotions and moods. This
instability is what many friends and family members have a hard
time communicating with someone who has manic depression.
Sleep Schedule is Off
Another sign of manic depression is if a person does not
have a normal sleep schedule. There may be times when the
person has to sleep for 17 or 18 hours at a time, and there may
be times where the manic depressive does not sleep for two or
three days. This inability to commit and maintain a consistent
sleep schedule is very common for those with manic depression.
Additionally, one's sleeping needs can change at a moment's
notice.
Erratic Decision Making
If you have manic depression, you may have a hard time
controlling your impulses. Once you get an idea in your head,
then you will feel as if you need or have to act on it. This is
why so many people with manic depression drop out of school or
change jobs at the drop of a hat. Many folks with the condition
may not even be able to stay around the same friends, make
plans, and may travel on whims.
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