About Manic Depression

The person who is suffering from this particular mental illness will often experience swings in mood from periods of deep depression to periods of elation and overactive behaviour. Such periods of high may immediately follow or precede a low period or they may alternate with periods of calm and stability.

Such changes are not everyday ups and downs or cases of ‘the blues’. During the high or manic periods the emotional effects on an individual may include a wide range of feelings from being on top of the world or even euphoric to being in the depths of despair. There may be body functional changes such as in sleep patterns or behavioural changes when the individual could become apathetic or unable to carry out the simplest of tasks.

Treatment for this condition often involves medication, although many people do manage to live full lives without medication. Assistance with the condition can take the form of helping the person learn to identify “triggers” so that they can have more control over their symptoms, and better manage to cope with their impact.

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