Manic Depressive Illness, also known as bipolar 1 disorder sickness, is not something that you experience once and then snap out of. It is with you all your life, can make your life an emotional roller coaster of hell, and is something you have to learn to live with.
It’s natural for all us to go through mild emotional swings, from happy to sad and back again as we live our lives. What separates this behavior from manic depressive illness is the intensity of the swings. It’s not unusual for the mood of a person with manic depressive illness to swing from giddy exhilaration to the deepest suicidal depression. It’s trying to control and live with those extremes that can make life very difficult for these people.
The signs and symptoms of manic depression typically first manifest themselves somewhere in a child’s late adolescent years. It can be extremely difficult to diagnose because it arrives at precisely the same time that hormonal and other factors are affecting them. Even normal teenagers’ emotions can swing wildly from one moment to the next.
There are two factors for learning to live with manic depression successfully: 1) get diagnosed early and 2) get proper treatment. Bipolar disorder, once diagnosed, is normally treated with a combination of mood stabilizers and therapy.
Mood stabilizers are psychiatric medicines that have been formulated to bring stability to the extreme mood swings from mania and depression in those suffering from manic depression. The most popular mood stabilizers are Lithium, Valproic acid, Lamotrigine, and Carbamazepine. A variety of mood stabilizers are constantly undergoing clinical trials in an attempt to find the best treatment possible for manic depression.
While it’s true that mood stabilizers can usually help manic depression symptoms, they should be used with care. And then should probably not be used by women who are pregnant as they have not been proven to be safe for the fetus. If you are pregnant, as with all other medical issues, consult your doctor before embarking on this form of treatment.
You can read more about bipolar illness and bipolar support groups and therapies at Julie’s website.
