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Manic depression
Last reviewed: 05.07.2025
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Bipolar disorder, also formerly known as manic depression, is a mental illness that causes the sufferer to experience extreme mood swings, ranging from depressed to overly agitated. People with the disorder may go from feeling happy and joyful to feeling extremely sad and depressed, and vice versa. Because manic depression is characterized by extreme mood swings—or polarities—it is called bipolar disorder. Between mood swings, the sufferer may be in a normal state and mood.
The word "mania" describes the patient's state when he or she is in an overly elevated and excited mood and feels self-confident. These feelings quickly develop into absent-mindedness, irritability, anger, and even rage. The word "depression" describes the patient's state of oppression and sadness. Since the symptoms are similar, patients are sometimes mistakenly diagnosed with acute depression.
In most patients, attacks of depressive phase occur much more often than mania.
[ Who is most likely to suffer from manic depression?
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 2 million people in the United States suffer from a disorder called manic depression. It usually begins at a young age, before age 35. If children get sick, it will occur in a more complex form and be accompanied by attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Some studies have shown that manic depression is hereditary, which explains its frequent occurrence within families.
The disorder affects both men and women equally, but women tend to have more frequent mood swings, or cyclical bipolar disorder. This pattern of the disorder may be due to women having more frequent hormonal changes, thyroid dysfunction, and being prescribed antidepressants more often. Women are also more likely to have frequent bouts of depression than mania.
Research has shown that about 60% of people with bipolar disorder also suffer from alcohol or drug addiction. Research has also shown that manic depression most often occurs in people with seasonal affective disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder.
What causes manic depression?
It is impossible to say exactly what causes depression or bipolar disorder, but causes include genetic predisposition, changes in brain chemistry, or environmental factors such as stress or life changes. More and more research is being done to determine the connection between these factors and the onset of bipolar disorder, how to avoid its first episode, and what role these factors play in treatment.
How does manic depression manifest itself?
Manic depression is characterized by mood phases that do not follow a specific order, and depression does not always follow mania. The patient may experience an attack of one phase several times in a row, only to suddenly experience an attack of the opposite mood phase. The mood phases may change at intervals of weeks, months, or even years.
The severity of an attack of depression or mania in each case is strictly individual.
Symptoms of mania include:
- Excessive feelings of happiness, optimism and excitement.
- A sudden change from a joyful state to irritability, anger and hostility.
- Restlessness.
- Rapid speech and inability to concentrate.
- Increased energy and decreased need for sleep.
- Increased sexual desire.
- A tendency to make grandiose plans and impossible tasks.
- A tendency to make poor judgments, such as deciding to quit a new job.
- Alcohol or drug abuse.
- Increased impulsivity.
Manic depression is also characterized by psychopathic episodes, such as people seeing or hearing things that do not exist, believing in them, and being unable to convince them otherwise. In some cases, they believe that they have supernatural powers and abilities, or consider themselves God-like.
Symptoms of depression include:
- Sadness.
- Loss of strength.
- Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness.
- Complete indifference to once beloved activities.
- Inability to concentrate.
- Increased tearfulness.
- It's hard to make a decision.
- Irritability.
- Increased need for sleep.
- Insomnia.
- Changes in appetite causing weight gain or loss.
- Thoughts of suicide.
- Attempts to commit suicide.
How is manic depression diagnosed?
Manic depression can be diagnosed accurately only if the symptoms of the disease, their complexity, duration and frequency are monitored. The most common symptoms include sudden mood swings, which always occur differently. If your relatives and friends keep a diary of your symptoms, this will help the doctor make an accurate diagnosis and distinguish acute depression from bipolar disorder.
If you or someone close to you has manic depression, you should seek help from your family doctor or psychiatrist. They will then refer you to the appropriate specialist.
When making a diagnosis, the doctor will conduct a thorough medical examination. The doctor will ask about mental illness in your family. If the patient experiences four or more mood swings per year, it will be more difficult for him to recover. In bipolar disorder, the main treatment will be medication, but simultaneously attending psychotherapy sessions will help the patient avoid future attacks.
How to examine?
Who to contact?
How is manic depression treated?
There are a number of medications used to treat the disorder manic depression, including lithium and Depakote.
Lithium
Lithium is a mood stabilizer and the most commonly prescribed medication for bipolar disorder. It is effective in treating mood swings from mania to depression and vice versa. Lithium can relieve symptoms of mania within two weeks of starting to take it, but it may take several weeks or months for the patient to gain full control. Therefore, drugs such as neuroleptics or antidepressants may be used for a faster effect.
Side effects of lithium:
- Frequent urination
- Weight gain
- Slight hand tremors
- Nausea
Lithium has the ability to affect the functioning of the kidneys and thyroid gland, so while taking it, your doctor will monitor your health and monitor the level of lithium in your blood. Any factor that affects the sodium level in the blood, such as a low-salt diet, increased sweating, fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, can cause the lithium level in the blood to rise. Be careful with lithium and contact your doctor as soon as you experience symptoms of the conditions described above.
Below we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the symptoms of lithium overdose and advise you to immediately consult a doctor if:
- Vision is impaired
- An arrhythmic pulse is heard
- The heartbeat has become too fast or too slow
- It became difficult to breathe
- Absent-mindedness appeared
- Cramps appeared
- Dizziness
- Strong tremors
- Urination has become more frequent
- Uncontrolled eye movement appeared
- My vision started to double
- Bruises and bleeding appeared for no apparent reason
Depakote
Depakote is an anticonvulsant that is also used to treat manic episodes. It is highly effective in treating bipolar disorder, which is cyclical. This drug has a number of side effects, including liver inflammation and decreased levels of blood platelets (the blood cells responsible for clotting), so you will be monitored by a doctor while taking it.
Side effects of Depakote include:
- Increased calmness.
- Stomach cramps.
- Diarrhea.
- Indigestion.
- Nausea.
- Weight gain.
- A slight tremor in the hands.
Most people with bipolar disorder take more than one medication. Along with a mood stabilizer, they may take medications for anxiety, insomnia, or depression.
Many antidepressants can be used in combination with mood stabilizers to treat a depressive episode of bipolar disorder. If antidepressants are taken without mood stabilizers, they can trigger a manic episode and, according to recent research, cause suicidal behavior.
What to expect after manic depression passes?
In most cases, a good treatment plan helps patients cope with an attack and control symptoms. If the treatment continues as maintenance, then the patient can protect himself from repeated attacks. However, if the patient also suffers from alcohol or drug addiction, then it will take much longer to relieve the symptoms of the disease.
The first signs of suicidal behavior
- The presence of a large number of symptoms of depression (change in appetite, sleep disturbance, etc.).
- Social isolation.
- Talk of suicide, helplessness and hopelessness.
- A vivid expression of subconscious feelings (sexual, behavioral).
- Behavior that poses a danger to life.
- Frequent accidents.
- Drawing attention to horrible and negative topics.
- Talking about death.
- Increased tearfulness or inability to express one's feelings emotionally.
- Giving away your own things.