Manic Depression, which is now widely referred to as Bipolar Disorder (BD), is a mental illness that affects over 5.7 million Americans according to the National Institute for Mental Health. There are many famous actors, writers, singers and artists who have BD and talk openly about it. It is a disorder that is manageable with the right medications and therapies.
Extreme Emotions
One of the major characteristics of a manic depressive person is extreme mood swings. You can go from being extremely depressed and thinking about suicide to feeling euphoric and on top of the world with very little time in between.
Changes in Eating and Sleeping
Any drastic change may be a sign something is wrong. Mania tends to cause insomnia in many people, while depression can cause a person to never get out of bed. This is the same with eating. Any of the extremes, overeating or not eating, are symptoms.
Racing Thoughts
People with manic depression sometimes have a hard time thinking and focusing due to racing thoughts.
Self Esteem
While in a depressive swing you would experience extremely low self esteem. When you swing back to being manic, your self esteem is unusually high.
Isolation
Many people with manic depression isolate themselves from friends, typically when depressed. In manic stages, they may push people away unintentionally by their unstable behaviors.
Risky Behavior
Many manic depressives get involved with alcohol or drugs. It's their way of dealing or coping with the extreme feelings. So there may be dual diagnosis with substance abuse problems.
Seek Help
Many people who are bipolar do not seek help for themselves. However, if you feel these extreme emotions and they are affecting every aspect of your life, it is time to seek help. Call your family doctor or a psychologist for an accurate assessment.
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