manic depression Essay -- essays research papers

MANIC DEPRESSION Estimates say that about 2 and a half million Americans suffer from manic depressive illness. Also called bipolar disorder, this mental illness involves episodes in which a persons mood alternates between extreme mania and depression. A person may experience pressure and racing thoughts and speech, and often uncontrolled reckless behavior. Two thirds of those who suffer from bipolar illness have numerous episodes of recurrences of alternating phases. Most people suffering from manic depressive illness experience extreme cases of up and Dow emotion. Studies say manic depression is one of the most understudied psychiatric illnesses. Bipolar disorder is much less common than depression. atleast 8 percent of people experience depression within their lives. bipolar disorder affects men and women almost equally, and is most common amongst upper economic classes. 15 percent of people with bipolar disorder commit suicide. research shows that highly creative people such as artists, composers , writers, and poets, show usually high rates of bipolar disorder. Their periods of mania is said to fuel their creativity. Bipolar disorder usually begins in a persons late teens early twenties. Men usually experience mania as the first mood episode, where as women usually experience depression first. episodes of mania and depression usually last from several weeks to several months. In most cases swings between mania and depression occur within days. In other cases a person may experience major depression and minor mania. Mania and depression may also follow patterns of seasons. Mania in the winter and fall and depression in summer and spring. People suffering from bipolar disorder feel indifferent to work and have no desire to do anything constructive. They think slow, concentrate poorly, feel tired, and experience changes, usually an increase in appetite and sleep. They often feel a sense of worthlessness and helplessness. In some cases a person may feel pessimistic about the future and may attempt suicide. a patient may all experience delusions and hallucinations. In the manic phase people feel intensely and inappropriately happy, self important and irritable. During this state a person becomes highly energized and sleeps less, talking in rapid fire speech often going off in all directions. They have inflated confidence and unfounded self esteem. Man... ... symptoms become extreme or dangerous. experts say causes can be fights between spouses or loss of sleep. A patient most likely will still suffer from some symptoms even if they follow the exact order of medicine. This illness has no cure. Doctors also have not figured out what causes bipolar disorder. Allot of patients find comfort in talking to other patients about their illness. This allows the patients to find a common bond with another person. Giving the patient the comfort of knowing someone else is going through the same thing if not worse. hospitals offer many support groups for manic depressive people. Stress is said to be the biggest cause of mania and depression occurances. Therapy is supposed to reduce a persons feeling of stress. Manic depression research as come a long way since it was first discovered. It still remains though one of the most understudied psychiatric disorders. Millions of people a year suffer from this diease. It can result in suicide, drug abuse, and unprotected sex. This illness deserves more attention then it is receiving. I feel we as a nation should address the on going rise of suicides as a cause of one form or another of manic depression.