Q: manic depression?
I tend to switch between being really hyper and happy almost to a point where it’s like I’m on something and being extremely depressed and not knowing why. I also had a grandfather who had manic depression (I’m not sure if it’s genetic but I’m just adding that in case it is.) Could I have it too? If so what should I do about it?
hah yes i agree weed definately helps
unfortunately i don’t have access to it very often

A: It is genetic and your odds are higher having a close relative who has/had it. What you describe could be indicative, but there’s more to it. See a psychiatrist who specializes in mood disorders for an evaluation. Your GP/PCP should be able to give you a referral. I have manic depression and suggest that you do get it checked to rule it out if nothing else.

Q: Manic depression?
I had a diagnosis for Manic depression many years ago. It was accurate considering my behaviors back then. These days, I’m different: I get the mania part every few months (as per normal), but NO depression. Any clue what my current deal might be? or whether or not I should attempt re-evaluation?
Thanx Alex, Cindy, and Lily. Wow Alex! I am in my early 30’s. I appreciate the heads up on this thing potentially getting worse.

A: Hi,

My rule of thumb is that if you are wondering if you should be re-evaluated, the answer is yes. If you are on any meds and your symptoms change (they sound like for the better!!), your doc should know that, too. Another difficult part of diagnosis of mental illness is the difficulty in diagnosing properly–and then the stigma that the label brings. If you were diagnosed that long ago…(it’s called Bipolar Disorder now) and your symptoms have changed, maybe you would leave the Dr. with a different diagnosis.

On the flip side, if you are not on meds, and feel as if your life is not being negatively affected by your periods of mania–and have not also had negative emotions or responses related to the label of manic depression, maybe let sleeping dogs lie…

Either way, good luck to you, and kudos for taking your own mental health seriously.

Q: Manic Depression?
After i was told i suffered from manic depression, i thought i’d do some research, and i once read that there was significant correlation between people born in december and those who suffer from bi-polar disorder, my birthday is on the 19th of december, and was just curious as to whether anyone knew this to be true, or if you could give me any other facts or something….i just like to know everything?

thanks

A: well i was born in march and i am bipolar and i was told this by more than one doctor that my case is from one of my parents so check into you family history or past and i might add that manic depression is part of my bipolar too and let me say it sucks. been taken meds since 1992 and sometimes they work and sometimes they dont so you need to see a doctor for any meds you might need

Q: How does manic depression affect your emotions?
How does manic dperession “work”?
I know that it makes a person happy and sad at extreme levels, but what is it about manic depression that causes those feelings? Hormone imbalance? Chemical reactors? Events? Ect? Please could someone help explain how it works?

A: People confuse “mood” with “emotion”. If someone goes from happy to sad (emotions), they think they have had a mood swing. Wrong, they had an emotion. Bipolar is not about having having emotions like anger, sadness….. nor is it about changing from one emotion to another really fast. It is about slowly changing moods….. A mood affects everything from your energy level, emotional response (which emotions you experience), sexuality, thought process, self esteem, appetite, whether or not you enjoy activities, etc……. Bipolar is about moving between a really high mood (mania) and a really low mood (depression) every couple of weeks or months.

It is a chemical imbalance in the brain…. like diabetes is a chemical imbalance in the body. It is inherited but needs a trigger to become active. Triggers can be anything from abuse, trauma, or a virus like the flu.
Here are some of my personal examples of the extremes. My moods generally last for a couple of months then there is a short period of being normal before I start to swing the other way

The low – Do not care about anything, stop showering, stop cleaning house, crying a lot, sleeping 14 hours a day, want to die but don’t have the energy to plan it, hating yourself for every little bad thing you have ever done….. feeling guilty about everything you have done while manic, knowing that everyone else hates you too. I feel like my mind has stopped working, thoughts are dulled, can’t read….. just lay there like a dead lump of nothing.

The High – these are symptoms as listed online followed by my examples

* FEELING EXTREMELY HAPPY OR IRITABLE* Like you just won the lottery or like your boss just cut your pay in half so he could give his daughter a raise but the feelings go on and on for weeks or months.

*INFLATED SELF ESTEEM* Believe that everyone loves you, everyone knows how smart, funny, pretty, sexy, you are. Think you are so good you can do anything.

* REDUCED NEED FOR SLEEP* 2 to 3 hours of sleep a night for weeks or months and you are never tired.

* TALK FASTER AND MORE THAN USUAL* Ramble on and on but the talk may be disjointed because thoughts are going by so fast you can’t get them out fast enough. It’s called pressured speech.

* BE MORE ACTIVE THAN USUAL* Needing to run 10 miles a day when you never used to even jog. Taking up 5 new hobbies.

* RACING THOUGHTS* Can be seen as confusion. It’s very confusing because your thought go by so fast and you have no control over them it’s like having 10 people all shouting at you at the same time.

* BE EASILY DISTRACTED BY SIGHTS AND SOUNDS* Ohhhh bright and shiny things. Because you have ceased to even try to listen to your own thoughts.

* ACT IMPULSIVELY, DO RECKLESS THINGS, REDUCED INHIBITION, SPENDING SPREES* Spending the mortgage money on furniture, buying 25 books about penguins because wouldn’t it be cute if they could be a colony,* DRIVE RECKLESSLY* 120 mph down back roads with the radio blaring and not really paying attention to the road because of all the bright shiny things, *GET INTO FOOLISH BUSINESS VENTURES* cashing out your 401k to invest in a worm farm or going deep into debt so you can gamble because you know you will win, *HAVE FREQUENT, INDISCRIMINATE, OR UNSAFE SEX* like sex with strangers (without a condom) or with your sisters husband or your husbands sister. Suddenly decide you are bisexual because the opportunity for twice as much sex is there…… Oh my I didn’t know I was into BDSM before… tie me up and flog me baby.

I am Bipolar 1 and while the other types of bipolar may not be as bad they are still much more extreme than the online symptoms portray. The above are things I have one while manic and that’s just a few of them.

Q: What should i do if my wife has manic depression?
My wife and I have been married for 8 yrs now with 3 children. I believe my wife has manic depression.
The problem is she is in denial and will not go for the necessary tests or diagnosing. This is very difficult at home to say the least. Constant verbal and physical abuse for about 5yrs now, towards myself and the kids.
Our oldest child is 6 and youngest 2.
I feel my job as a husband should be to support my wife but I always get hurt in the process. I take my marriage vows very seriously and am a born again christian, but am actually contemplating divorce.

Plz help me what should I do?

PS. Her mother believes she has it and her father had been hospitalised for 1-2 yrs for manic depression and is now on the maximum dossage you can give to someone before hospitalisation.

A: You can only confront her about it, but unless she is a physical danger to herself or others, it would be morally wrong to force treatment on her. Instead of playing psychiatrist and telling her she’s bipolar as that is something no one wants to hear since that means medication (and psych meds are hell), ask her if she’ll go to marriage counselling with you. It can help a little bit, at least with the verbal abuse. Just because she has violent mood swings doesn’t mean that she should be constantly abusive. She might want to try counselling herself. The medications are hell and personally, unless her bipolar is very severe or she wants to try them, I don’t think it’s worth the side effects.

Q: What is the difference between Bipolar Disorder and Manic Depression?
Every time I search for facts on Manic Depression, I get stuff on Bipolar Disorder instead, so is it the same thing?

A: I believe mental health professionals no longer use the term manic-depression, now it is officially called bipolar disorder.

Occasionally the DSM changes the names of certain disorders. For example there is no longer such a thing as ADD, now there is only ADHD with or without hyperactivity.

However, once a certain name has been used for so long, the name kinda sticks.

Q: How do I get my Manic Depression under control without taking Psyche Medication?
I don’t trust Psyche medication, as most of them have harsh side effects and none have been proven to work or do more good than bad.
How do I get my manic moods and depression under control.
And if any of you say Jesus or Allah or some stupid Deity I will come in to your home and **** your mom and anal rape your dad.

A: With great difficulty. I only know of 1 person who managed and they claimed it was spiritual or some crap like that. When I stop my meds I relapse within 2 weeks and end up hospitalised. You could self medicate with alcohol and illicit drugs, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

Q: What could come of someone w Manic Depression keeping it a secret and leaving it untreated?
I have a friend who confessed her condition with me. She hasn’t told anyone else, and she refuses to do any kind of treatment because she says meds make her feel unlike herself. I recently learned that manic depression is degenerative and I’m really worried. Would I break her trust by talking about my feelings with someone else? Should I voice my thoughts and suggestions or will she get offended?

A: Talk to her honestly about what you are feeling. She is a close enough friend to share this info, so you probably have a pretty tight and honest relationship. It doesn’t make sense to start keeping secrets and holding back how you feel now.

When you talk, share what you learned and how you feel. Don’t interrogate or be judgmental, however, that doesn’t mean you can’t ask why she’s making her choices. You also have to know that this is her choice and you can’t make it for her. The other thing that would be good to discuss is what she wants you to do if she becomes suicidal or goes manic. These will happen, and when they do big time, poof goes the secret. Anyway, getting her to think about a plan and how it would effect you might get her to think a little more.

So you know, many with bipolar have to go unmedicated in a form of denial for a while. How long ‘a while’ is depends on the person. As long as she’s not self-medicating, she’s more apt to seek treatment sooner rather than later.

And… she entrusted you with personal information. Unless sharing the info with others is necessary for your friend’s health, then don’t. There is a huge stigma, and the violation you would make by talking could well be irreparable.

Q: What dose manic mean in manic depression ?
I know what depression means but I can’t get my head around what manic is. How dose it affect people with this illness in the sense of their personality e.g temper, happy, or sad ?

A: The answers given so far give a good description of ‘mania’.
I would also say that mania does not always present as being elevated in mood and happy. When somebody is in a manic phase they can become very excitable, and their thought processes are extremely fast, often jumping from one thing to another. They can often become extremely frustrated with people around them, who they see as being slow and stupid because they can’t keep up. They may have bizarre or unrealistic ideas, spend a lot of money, set up doomed business ventures and they become very angry with people who try to reason with them, sometimes even violent. Episodes of mania can completely ruin people’s relationships with others, more so than the depression. But some people can be extremely creative during manic phases, particularly the artists that I have known with this disorder.

Q: How many people with bipolar/manic-depression are on answers to night?
Wanted to see who has been staying awake all night, that way I’ll have someone to chat with. The more research I read on manic-depression the more I learn to appreciate my illness and you the excellent talents that come with it. There has been a correlation found between manic-depression, intelligence, and creativity. Something to be proud of; we are all wonderful and talanted people.
Does anyone feel like chatting tonight?

A: My mother and mother in law are both bipolar. Currently waiting on tests that are supposed to say that I am as well. One big manic depressive family

Q: What are the symptoms of manic depression?
Well I have heard about this thing called manic depression or bipolar syndrome. I think I might have it can sombody explain the symptoms to me please? Thank you

A: In order to have bipolar disorder, you must have had at least one episode of mania and one episode of depression (one episode of mania is enough to diagnose it, but without depression, it’s unipolar mania). A manic episode lasts at least four days, and a depressive episode lasts at least two weeks. There are often periods of normality between the episodes, although it is possible – if rarer – to switch almost immediately between the two extremes. Episodes of both kinds can last weeks or even months. It is possible to have ultradian cycling bipolar disorder, where moods change within a day or even within a few hours, but this is extremely rare, and mood swings of that kind of duration are usually caused by another illness, such as Borderline Personality Disorder.

Symptoms of mania are:
- Euphoria and/or irritation
- Increased energy levels
- Decreased need for sleep
- Lowered inhibitions
- Racing thoughts
- Racing speech
- Reckless and uncharacteristic behaviour (spending all your money on things you don’t need, having sex with strangers, putting yourself in dangerous situations without even noticing they’re dangerous)
- Starting many different projects (and often failing to finish them)

Symptoms of depression are:
- Unhappiness
- Disturbance of sleep and eating
- Lethargy
- Low self-esteem (usually self-hatred)
- Feelings of guilt
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Isolation
- Suicidal thoughts

Episodes of mania and depression can both include psychosis (delusions and/or hallucinations), but mania and depression can and often do occur without the presence of psychosis.

In order to diagnose bipolar disorder, the symptoms of mania and depression have to cause significant impairment to your day-to-day life.

Q: How to help a friend with manic depression?
My best friend was diagnosed with manic depression couple of year back; recently its got pretty bad. Hes constantly saying how a lack of anything to look forward to or care about and recently just how emptly he feels. I’m worried he’s going to do something stupid, but I actually don’t know what to do to stop him.

Anyone got any advice as to how to, if not “cheer him up” at least make this more bearable for him?

A: Hi, I am 15 years old and I have manic depression, I have done very stupid things…And so on…
I think that… As long as he knows he got a good friend like you..Who are there for him and if he knows he can talk with you like this…. Its good.. Myself, I have nobody to talk to, and thats very very …Bad..

And a comment above said its about medication, its NOT. Anti depressive medications can help him, but as he have this diagnosed he probably do get meds for it. But they dont normally just automaticlly work on their own (personal experiance), you got to act on your own…Wich I dont, and I feel just as bad as when I dont take my meds, I think..

But as long as he got a nice friend like you..Who dont judge him for his disease.. And who is there and supports him.. I think he is happy for that, and tell him you are there for him if he needs to talk….Really…
I would be happy if I could have one who was there cheering me up…

Q: Are manic depression and Bipolar disorder really the same thing?
I was diagnosed with Manic Depression about three years ago. I stopped taking the meds after six months because I didn’t like what they do to me.

I have been having difficulty with my MD a lot lately–it’s been worse. Mood swings for no causes whatsoever. I was googling some alternatives to prescribed medication for Manic Depression and everything that came up was Bipolar disorder.

I knew that the two were similar–but are they really the same thing?

A: Yes, they are two names for the same disorder. Manic Depression is the old name for what is now called Bipolar Disorder. Professionals chose to discard the name “Manic Depression” or “Manic-Depressive Disorder” in favor of Bipolar Disorder because it is more accurate. Not all forms of bipolar cause manic episodes – bipolar II does not have manic features, but instead the patient suffers from “hypomanic” or “sub-manic” episodes. Cyclothymia also has these hypomanic features, as well as less profound depressive episodes. Because of the different varieties of the disorder, the name “Manic Depression” was misleading and inaccurate, so it was changed to Bipolar Disorder.

Hope that helps clear things up!

Q: Prozac pushed me to mania does this mean i have manic depression?
I was initially placed on Fluoxetine (i have previously been on it about 3 yrs ago) and it pushed me into mania, so i was prescribed Remeron (mirtazepine) and they have been working very well and i feel great. Because the Fluoxetine pushed me into a manic stage does this mean i have bipolar? Im slightly confused ccause ive read that this is often a sign of manic depression?

A: Zoloft pushed me into a mild mania for about four months. Medication-induced mania does not automatically mean you have Bipolar. Researchers still argue as to whether or not there is a “predisposition” to Bipolar on those who go manic on an antidepressant.

The DSM-IV, the “bible” of the American Psychiatric Association, rules out Bipolar Disorder if it is induced by a medication. An unofficial diagnosis of Bipolar IV, not on the DSM-IV, is sometimes used to describe people who *may* have some Bipolarity but have not demonstrated and organic type of the illness not brought on by medications.

People on ecstasy or cocaine can become manic and experience the highs of mania without being bipolar. This reason is why Bipolar is not considered such unless there is proof that a person demonstrates mania or hypomania without artificial drugs whether legal or illegal.

Q: What are the signs of manic depression?
I keep having high and then really low moments and then there are times when im really down and want to end everything but when this happens its not always after something bad has happened, it can just be an argument etc – am I showing signs of manic depression ?

A: Here are what physicians use to make the diagnosis of bipolar disorder (“manic depression”)….Bipolar disorders are of two main types which are similar but distinct…Since the information your are providing is not sufficient to make such a diagnosis, I thought it would be useful to give you this information and maybe you can judge better if you actually have bipolar disorder or not…

Bipolar I Disorder–Diagnostic Features (DSM-IV, p. 350):
The essential feature of Bipolar I Disorder is a clinical course that is characterized by the occurrence of one or more Manic Episodes or Mixed Episodes. Often individuals have also had one or more Major Depressive Episodes. Episodes of Substance-Induced Mood Disorder (due to the direct effects of a medication, or other somatic treatments for depression, a drug of abuse, or toxin exposure) or of Mood Disorder Due to a General Medical Condition do not count toward a diagnosis of Bipolar I Disorder. In addition, the episodes are not better accounted for by Schizoaffective Disorder and are not superimposed on Schizophrenia, Schizophreniform Disorder, Delusional Disorder, or Psychotic Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. . . .

Bipolar II Disorder–Diagnostic Features (DSM-IV, p. 359):
The essential feature of Bipolar II Disorder is a clinical course that is characterized by the occurrence of one or more Major Depressive Episodes accompanied by at least one Hypomanic Episode. Hypomanic Episodes should not be confused with the several days of euthymia that may follow remission of a Major Depressive Episode. Episodes of Substance- Induced Mood Disorder (due to the direct effects of a medication, or other somatic treatments for depression, a drug of abuse, or toxin exposure) or of Mood Disorder Due to a General Medical Condition do not count toward a diagnosis of Bipolar I Disorder. In addition, the episodes are not better accounted for by Schizoaffective Disorder and are not superimposed on Schizophrenia, Schizophreniform Disorder, Delusional Disorder, or Psychotic Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. . . .

Criteria for Major Depressive Episode (DSM-IV, p. 327)
A. Five (or more) of the following symptoms have been present during the same 2-week period and represent a change from previous functioning; at least one of the symptoms is either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure.
Note: Do not include symptoms that are clearly due to a general medical condition, or mood-incongruent delusions or hallucinations.
1) depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, as indicated by either subjective report (e.g., feels sad or empty) or observation made by others (e.g. appears tearful). Note: In children and adolescents, can be irritable mood.
2) markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day (as indicated by either subjective account or observation made by others)
3) significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain (e.g., a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month), or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day. Note: In children, consider failure to make expected weight gains.
4) insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day
5) psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day (observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down)
6) fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day
7) feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt (which may be delusional) nearly every day (not merely self-reproach or guilt about being sick)
diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day (either by subjective account or as observed by others)
9) recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide
B. The symptoms do not meet criteria for a Mixed Episode.
C. The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
D. The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition (e.g., hypothyroidism).
E. The symptoms are not better accounted for by bereavement, i.e., after the loss of a loved one, the symptoms persist for longer than 2 months or are characterized by marked functional impairment, morbid preoccupation with worthlessness, suicidal ideation, psychotic symptoms, or psychomotor retardation.

Criteria for Manic Episode (DSM-IV, p. 332)
A. A distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, lasting at least 1 week (or any duration if hospitalization is necessary).
B. During the period of mood disturbance, three (or more) of the following symptoms have persisted (four if the mood is only irritable) and have been present to a significant degree:
1) inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
2) decreased need for sleep (e.g., feels rested after only 3 hours of sleep)
3) more talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking
4) flight of ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing
5) distractibility (i.e., attention too easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant external stimuli)
6) increase in goal-directed activity (either socially, at work or school, or sexually) or psychomotor agitation
7) excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences (e.g., engaging in unrestrained buying sprees, sexual indiscretions, or foolish business investments)
C. The symptoms do not meet criteria for a Mixed Episode.
D. The mood disturbance is sufficiently severe to cause marked impairment in occupational functioning or in usual social activities or relationships with others, or to necessitate hospitalization to prevent harm to self or others, or there are psychotic features.
E. The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication, or other treatments) or a general medical condition (e.g., hyperthyroidism).
Note: Manic-like episodes that are clearly caused by somatic antidepressant treatment (e.g., medication, electroconvulsive therapy, light therapy) should not count toward a diagnosis of Bipolar I Disorder.

Criteria for Mixed Episode (DSM-IV, p. 335)
A. The criteria are met both for a Manic Episode and for a Major Depressive Episode (except for duration) nearly every day during at least a 1-week period.
B. The mood disturbance is sufficiently severe to cause marked impairment in occupational functioning or in usual social activities or relationships with others, or to necessitate hospitalization to prevent harm to self or others, or there are psychotic features.
C. The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication, or other treatment) or a general medical condition (e.g., hyperthyroidism).

Criteria for Hypomanic Episode (DSM-IV, p. 338)
A. A distinct period of persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, lasting throughout at least 4 days, that is clearly different from the usual nondepressed mood.
B. During the period of mood disturbance, three (or more) of the following symptoms have persisted (four if the mood is only irritable) and have been present to a significant degree:
1) inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
2) decreased need for sleep (e.g., feels rested after only 3 hours of sleep)
3) more talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking
4) flight of ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing
5) distractibility (i.e., attention too easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant external stimuli)
6) increase in goal-directed activity (either socially, at work or school, or sexually) or psychomotor agitation
7) excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences (e.g., engaging in unrestrained buying sprees, sexual indiscretions, or foolish business investments)
C. The episode is associated with an unequivocal change in functioning that is uncharacteristic of the person when not symptomatic.
D. The disturbance in mood and the change in functioning are observable by others.
E. The episode is not severe enough to cause marked impairment in social or occupational functioning, or to necessitate hospitalization, and there are no psychotic features.
F. The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication, or other treatment) or a general medical condition (e.g., hyperthyroidism).
Note: Hypomanic-like episodes that are clearly caused by somatic antidepressant treatment (e.g., medication, electroconvulsive therapy, light therapy) should not count toward a diagnosis of Bipolar II Disorder.

Q: What are the symptoms of manic depression?
Well I have heard about this thing called manic depression or bipolar syndrome. I think I might have it can sombody explain the symptoms to me please? Thank you

A: In order to have bipolar disorder, you must have had at least one episode of mania and one episode of depression (one episode of mania is enough to diagnose it, but without depression, it’s unipolar mania). A manic episode lasts at least four days, and a depressive episode lasts at least two weeks. There are often periods of normality between the episodes, although it is possible – if rarer – to switch almost immediately between the two extremes. Episodes of both kinds can last weeks or even months. It is possible to have ultradian cycling bipolar disorder, where moods change within a day or even within a few hours, but this is extremely rare, and mood swings of that kind of duration are usually caused by another illness, such as Borderline Personality Disorder.

Symptoms of mania are:
- Euphoria and/or irritation
- Increased energy levels
- Decreased need for sleep
- Lowered inhibitions
- Racing thoughts
- Racing speech
- Reckless and uncharacteristic behaviour (spending all your money on things you don’t need, having sex with strangers, putting yourself in dangerous situations without even noticing they’re dangerous)
- Starting many different projects (and often failing to finish them)

Symptoms of depression are:
- Unhappiness
- Disturbance of sleep and eating
- Lethargy
- Low self-esteem (usually self-hatred)
- Feelings of guilt
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Isolation
- Suicidal thoughts

Episodes of mania and depression can both include psychosis (delusions and/or hallucinations), but mania and depression can and often do occur without the presence of psychosis.

In order to diagnose bipolar disorder, the symptoms of mania and depression have to cause significant impairment to your day-to-day life.

Q: What are the symptoms of Manic Depression?
If you think you had it would you consider going to the doctors?

A: Depression is one of the most common health conditions in the world. Depression isn’t a weakness, nor is it something that you can simply “snap out of.” Depression, formally called major depression, major depressive disorder or clinical depression, is a medical illness that involves the mind and body. It affects how you think and behave and can cause a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may not be able to go about your usual daily activities, and depression may make you feel as if life just isn’t worth living anymore.
Most health professionals today consider depression a chronic illness that requires long-term treatment, much like diabetes or high blood pressure. Although some people experience only one episode of depression, most have repeated episodes of depression symptoms throughout their life.
Effective diagnosis and treatment can help reduce even severe depression symptoms. And with effective treatment, most people with depression feel better, often within weeks, and can return to the daily activities they previously enjoyed.
Symptoms
Symptoms of depression include:
Loss of interest in normal daily activities
Feeling sad or down
Feeling hopeless
Crying spells for no apparent reason
Problems sleeping
Trouble focusing or concentrating

Q: When do people typically start to show symptoms of Manic Depression?
Teenage years? 20-somethings? Childhood? Just wondering.

A: Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness typically develops in late adolescence or early adulthood. However, some people have their first symptoms during childhood, and some develop them late in life.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/bipolar.cfm#intro

My parents said they started to notice the signs and symptoms in me since I was a teenager, but I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 21.

Q: is one of the symptoms of manic depression being easily amused by things?
along with other things, obviously.
I slept about 3 hours last night and I’m in a tremendously good mood.
could the fact that things are making me laugh be a related symptom of an early manic phase?
thanks, I am bi-polar. But I also have a low sense of humor, I just wondered if the two were related lol.

A: Wow we are all mental, aren’t we?
OCD
ADD
THC
OPP… no, wait. Not that.
Won’t go get checked for bi-poar or anxiety. Already know the answer, don’t want the pills. (Former abused substance.) Now what?

Q: Are these manic depression symptoms?PLS HELP?
Racing thoughts, lack of sleep, feeling full of energy?
I suffer from clinical depression and have been on fluoxetine for over 5 months now, About a week or so ago i was experiencing really racing thoughts and i couldn’t slow my mind down which was making it very difficult to concentrate on things. Also i was only getting about 1-2 hours of sleep and not really missing it. I didn’t feel tired. Just energised. I went to my GP in Glasgow about this as my friend who used to be a mental health nurse said that it sounded like Bipolar, so i told my GP about the racing thoughts, lack of sleep, energised and so on and my GP just upped my Prozac to 40mg and told me to come back in 3 weeks.Are these symptoms of Bipolar Disorder?Or maybe some other condition?
And what is the duration of manic episodes. Can they last weeks and weeks?

A: You really need to tell dr. this. Antidepressants can push a bipolar person over the edge into mania. The racing thoughts, lack of sleeping and feeling energized are symptoms of the mania of bipolar. I would go to another dr., one who specializes in mental health issues. The fact that yours ignored your mania symptoms and upped the antidep. is scary.

Yes, the mania can last for a couple weeks. Are you talking on the phone or texting friends lots more than usual? Shopping more? more mania symptoms.

Q: is it possible for prozac to cause symptoms of manic depression?
also do you have any personal experiences of bi polar and what you feel?
thank you

A: yes. If someone suffers from bi-polar disorder and they take antidepressants alone without a mood stabiliser or anti psychotic then it can cause the person to suffer from a manic episode. Sorry i don’t have personal experience of this.

Q: what are some symptoms of manic depression?
and what can you do for manic depression

A: Lifestyle changes can help… diet, exercise, meditation… but the only thing that really controls Manic Depression (Bipolar Disorder) is medication.

Everyone has all the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder……. because everyone has mood swings, momentary loss of judgment, likes to go shopping, likes sex, feels down sometimes, gets angry now and then and is hyper on occasion. The difference is that all of these symptoms in Bipolar are so intense that they interfere with your ability to function. Think of a pole (biPOLEr) with 0 at the center (0 being normal) and 10 at one end (manic) and -10 at the other (deep depression). Most people have swings but stay within 3 to -3. I have fairly severe Bipolar 1 but since my psychosis is mild I go from -9 to 9…. Also depression that comes and goes is not bipolar but just recurring depression, you have to have mania for it to be Bipolar….. you have to go to both ends of the pole.

Rapidly changing moods or becoming angry or sad easily is not Bipolar. That is just having emotions. People with Bipolar Disorder do not change emotions quickly, they go through long periods of deep depression followed by long periods of mania or elevated mood, long periods meaning weeks or months or years. Mood effects everything about you…. your energy level, self esteem, sleep patterns, appetite, sexuality, emotional response, etc…..

This is what it is like to have Bipolar disorder:

Depression – too tired to get out of bed, shower, even to brush my teeth. Cry all the time, sleep 16 hours a day. Feelings of self loathing and guilt that drive me to think of suicide but I’m to tired to even think about how to go about killing myself. It makes you feel small and worthless and completely insignificant. It makes you think about how big the world is and how meaningless you are in it….. and it refuses to let you have any good thoughts or see any good things…. when you look in the mirror all you see is pain, you don’t even see yourself, you don’t taste your favorite foods anymore, see that flowers are blooming, whether or not the sun is out, you become so inward that you hardly even notice your surroundings….. You don’t even feel love for people anymore…. positive thoughts are just not possible…… it is a deep dark hole with no way out and no light for hope…. and most of all it makes you feel sooooo alone. And even if there were someone who cared about you they would be better off if you killed yourself……. because all you will ever be is a burden……. this can last from a couple of weeks to a couple of years.

Mania – Way too happy! PARTY GIRL! love drink and drugs. Talk really fast and pressured because my thoughts are going faster than my mouth can keep up with. Hypersexual – like I sleep with strangers and guys I just met on the internet or I masturbate 10 times a day. I once became bisexual because there were twice as many people to sleep with. down load porn and spend tons of money on sex toys. Spending sprees….. I once spent my mortgage money on african violets, yep, $1500 on African violets (then I got depressed and let them all die). Quit my job because I wanted my vacation pay for lottery tickets and I was so convinced I would win that I started shopping and writing bad checks because I’d be rich as soon as the numbers were drawn. Decided that I could replace the furnace in my home by myself… I mean how hard can it be….. Only sleep 2 or maybe 3 hours a night for months on end and never feel tired. In the end I was unemployed, $30,000 in debt, and had almost lost my home, which needed a new furnace because I had removed the old one.. or parts of it anyway. This can last for months.

I also have mixed states when I am depressed and manic at the same time which are truly the worst… By body and mind are depressed but there is this undercurrent of energy running all the time….. I’m highly emotional but the emotions tend to be negative (guilt and anger) I have intrusive thoughts and urges to mutilate myself (like wanting to stick my hands in the garbage disposal or cooking them on the BBQ), and I also have psychotic episodes where I hallucinate. This is when I am most suseptible to suicide because I am depressed, wanting to hurt myself, and I have the mental energy to plan and carry it out.

When I am on meds I am a normal 45 year old single mom of 3 and no one would even guess that

Q: My friend has symptoms of bi-polar/manic depression or hyperthyroidism, but doesnt. What could it be?
He was given drugs for manic depression about a year ago but they didnt do anything. I dont think he has either of these diseases, but im sure hes got something. Can anyone help? Thanks xx

A: apparently you are unaware that often their tests fail to find problems which are, in fact, present. see an hio method chiropractor to check for nerve interference.

Q: Can symptoms of manic depression get worse over time?

A: Yes, get to a dr and they will be able to get you medicine to get you better.

Q: Any differences and similarities in symptoms of Manic Depression and Epilpsy?

A: The treatment for both conditions is very similar, in some ways nearly identical. In both conditions people are primarily treated with anti-seizure medications (“anticonvulsants”). They are standard medications for the treatment of bipolar disorder such as Depakote, Tegretol, lamotrigine and Neurontin. In many cases they act like Lithium, the old standard for bipolar disorder.

In addition, medications that make seizure disorders worse (though only slightly in most cases) can make bipolar disorder worse also (more than slightly in many cases). These include antidepressant medications and antipsychotic medications, because they “lower seizure threshold”; that is, they make it slightly easier for an underlying seizure condition to express itself. And the antidepressants at least are widely recognized to have the potential to make bipolar disorder worse…but not always.

In fact temporal lobe epilepsy and bipolar disorder are indeed very much alike. There is so much overlap between the two conditions, it sure seems like there must be some direct relationship there…e.g. severe TLE, coming from just the right spot in the temporal lobe, could considered by some researchers to effectively “be” bipolar disorder; that is if the experts knew more about exactly how bipolar disorder works, which they don’t.

This is a good article about a study to determine whether the manic episode of patients with epilepsy has different characteristics from manic episode of patients with bipolar disorder. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11554891&dopt=Abstract

This is also some info I found from ADAM (American Accreditation Healthcare Commission)
Bipolar Disorder and Epilepsy.
Neurotransmitters called gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and norepinephrine have been implicated in mania.

GABA helps prevent nerve cells from over-firing.
Norepinephrine is a hormone that involves stress.
Some research has associated similar biologic mechanisms in patients with epilepsy and bipolar disorder. As in epilepsy, the more episodes a bipolar disorder patient experiences early in the course of the disease, the more frequent and severe later episodes will be. Antiseizure agents, in fact, can play an important role in the treatment of bipolar disorder.

Of course the big difference is in how they are classified, since bipolar is considered a psychological disorder and epilepsy a neurological disorder.

Q: What are some symptoms to Manic Depression?

A: Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression)

Another type of depression is bipolar disorder, which was formerly called manic-depressive illness or manic depression. This condition shows a particular pattern of inheritance. Not nearly as common as the other types of depressive disorders, bipolar disorder involves cycles of depression and mania, or elation. Bipolar disorder is often a chronic, recurring condition. Sometimes, the mood switches are dramatic and rapid, but most often they are gradual.

When in the depressed cycle, the person can experience any or all of the symptoms of a depressive disorder. When in the manic cycle, any or all of the symptoms listed under mania may be experienced. Mania often affects thinking, judgment, and social behavior in ways that cause serious problems and embarrassment. For example, unwise business or financial decisions may be made when an individual is in a manic phase.

A significant variant of bipolar disorder is designated as bipolar II. (The usual form of bipolar disorder is referred to as bipolar I.) Bipolar II is a syndrome in which the affected person has repeated depressive episodes punctuated by what is called hypomania (mini-highs). These euphoric states in bipolar II do not fully meet the criteria for the complete manic episodes that occur in bipolar I.

Depression Symptoms of Manic Depression

Persistently sad, anxious, or “empty” mood.
Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism.
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness.
Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex.
Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping.
Decreased appetite and/or weight loss, or overeating and weight gain.
Fatigue, decreased energy, being “slowed down.”
Thoughts of death or suicide, suicide attempts.
Restlessness, irritability.
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions.
Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain.
Mania Symptoms of Manic Depression

Inappropriate elation.
Inappropriate irritability.
Severe insomnia.
Grandiose notions.
Increased talking speed and/or volume.
Disconnected and racing thoughts.
Increased sexual desire.
Markedly increased energy.
Poor judgment.
Inappropriate social behavior.

Q: What are symptoms of manic depression?
PLZ HELP ME IF U CAN

A: I have Bipolar. It is a tough nut to crack. There are times that you are seriously depressed, some times to the point of being suicidal. Then you are flying high. In the high times you are doing things that are risky, like driving to fast. You are also driven in the area of sexuality. Combine that with the risk taking thing and you have problems. Allot of people use drugs and alcohol to control their symptoms but this only compounds the problems. There is also a thing called Bipolar II which is a milder for of bipolar. Well only in the manic part. The depression can often be worse.

Q: can someone with unipolar depression have any manic symptoms?

A: Yes.

Q: What are symptoms of depression? Are they similar to manic-depression?

A: I’m a professional counselor and I can tell you that – IN SOME CASES, depression CAN look like bi-polar (manic-depression)…but ONLY when the bi-polar is a type that is mostly depressive. You cannot have a diagnosis of bi-polar without a manic stage at some point. Here are some symptoms of depression (in adults – if you want to know about kids, e-mail me): feeling sad and down most of the day more days than not over at least a 2 week period. Sleep interruptions or sleeping too much. Irritability. Anxiety increases. Not interested in things you used to love to do. Fatigue and low energy. Eating too much or not enough. Some people report headaches.

Now, to contrast that with bi-polar…the depressive episodes can look like what I described above…however, there MUST be some time when the person has manic phase and that can look like TONS of energy…not sleeping at all or very little. Sometimes there are “thoughts of grandeur” (I can fly or I’m going to be president tomorrow). Compulsive shopping and obsessive “cleaning” is common. Feeling of high anxiety and irritability. Flight of thoughts (thoughts going so fast you can’t hold on to them…might stop mid-sentence and go on to another subject).

I have seen people with bi-polar stay up all night…buy until they max all their cards…walk naked down the road at midnight…and do other things that show poor judgment. Hope this helps. No matter what – if half of this sounds familiar – go see a doc!

Q: Manic Depression?
What effect exactly does Lithum have on Manic Depression? Does it.. cure it? or can symptoms still be seen?

A: My son was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He was put on Lithium and respardal, then lithium and invega. Lithium is a mood stabilizer. There is no cure for bipolar but with meds it can be controlled. Good Luck.

Q: Was Jimi Hendrix diagnosed with manic depression?
i know he has a song of it, but does he actually have it.i figure he would have major depression if anything..do you know?
that doesnt really help. so are you saying he could be diagnosed with major depression?

A: Drug addiction would have interfered with any mental diagnosis.

Q: I want to make a cd for my ex for Christmas. What are some good songs for that manic depressed, cheating ****?
I already have:
Don’t Go Away Mad by Motley Crue
Manic Depression by Jimi Hendrix

But I need a lot more.

thanks!

A: How about “I Fcuking Hate You” by Godsmack.

That’s my theme song for my ex.

Q: what is a manic depression?
i never get that
sometimes i think what jimi hendrix waz talking about in the song is manic depression but i dont get it
explain plz

A: It’s referred to as bi-polar these days. You suffer mood swings. Your happy and sad moods change often and you rely on anti depressants to maintain somewhat of a level plane.

Q: What are some some songs about mental health (any genre)?
The only ones I can think of are:

Day 26 – BiPolar
Bowling For Soup – BiPolar
Jimi Hendrix – Manic Depression
Black Sabbath – Paranoid

BQ: How are you?
BQ2: What are you listening to at the moment?
chiiili – Thanks, I forgot about that song lol
leviathandeth696 – Thank you ( =

A: Institutionalized by Suicidal Tendencies

The Virus of Life By Slipknot

Touch of Grey by The Grateful Dead

Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones

Garden Grove by Sublime

Tourniquet by Evanescence

Bad Day By Fuel

Outside by Staind

So Many Tears by Tupac

Q: Manic Depression is searching my soul…..?
Yes you all know the Jimi Hendrix classic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iCN2T_sw90

BQ: What song do you like that deals with depression/sadness?

A: slippin into darkness – war

Q: 10 POINTS for the best help with this playlist! Only people with similar music taste please. ?
So I’m throwing this party, which will have a live band but they can’t play for that long so I thought I’d throw together a playlist for the rest of the time, there will be a very diverse crowd (hence the rap), but mostly it’s alternative and classic rock, I would appreciate it if anybody would make suggestions for additions or subtractions. i have means to acquire pretty much any song so go ahead. Thanks =)

I’m Gonna Love The Hell Out Of You – Silver Jews
Santeria – Sublime
The Joker – Steve Miller Band
Nausea – Beck
Highway Chile – Jimi Hendrix
Cobrastyle – Teddybears featuring Mad Cobra
A Milli – Lil Wayne ft. Cory Gunz
Oxford Comma – Vampire Weekend
Sour Cherry – The Kills
Fire – Jimi Hendrix
Manic Depression – Jimi Hendrix
Lover – Devendra Banhart
Caress Me Down – Sublime
Tango – Great Caesar & The GoGetters
Gravity’s Rainbow – Klaxons
Bohemian Like You – The Dandy Warhols
I Turn My Camera On – Spoon
Play Your Part (Pt. 1) – Girl Talk
Mr. Brownstone – Guns N’ Roses
Hotel California – Eagles
New Soul – Yael Naim
The Middle – Jimmy Eat World
Juicebox – The Strokes
Hash Pipe – Weezer
Ch-Check It Out – Beastie Boy
Sweet Honey – Slightly Stoopid
The World At Large – Modest Mouse
Honk If You’re Lonely – Silver Jews
Georgia On My Mind – Ray Charles
Imagine – John Lennon
Touch It / Technologic – Daft Punk
Sunshine Of Your Love – Cream
A Million Ways – OK Go
Pass the Dutchie – Sonic Youth
Laffy Taffy – D4L
Sex On Fire – Kings Of Leon
Revolution – The Beatles
Sultans Of Swing – Dire Straits
All the Young Dudes – The F-Ups
Off The Record – My Morning Jacket
Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta – Geto Boys
Purple Haze – Jimi Hendrix
Heavy Metal Drummer – Wilco
Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat) – Digable Planets
Valerie – The Zutons
Girl – Beck
Get Low – Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz
Soul Eyes – John Coltrane
Flathead – The Fratellis
With A Little Help From My Friends – The Beatles
Wolf Like Me – TV On the Radio
Purple Haze – Jimi Hendrix
Stacie Anne – The Fratellis
Lean Back – Terror Squad Feat Fat Joe & Remy
URA FEVER – The Kills
Light My Fire – The Doors
Wonderwall – Oasis
Apologize Remix – Timbaland ft One Republic, Lil’ Wayne & Bun B
Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes
Free Fallin’ – Tom Petty
Foxey Lady – Jimi Hendrix
Crash Remix – Dave Matthews Band
Youthenized (Horn Intro) – Great Caesar & The GoGetters
Oh Yeah – The Subways
Are You Gonna Be My Girl – Jet
Hump de Bump – Red Hot Chili Peppers
So Says I – The Shins
Baby Got Back – Sir Mix-a-Lot
Slow Dancing in a Burning Room – John Mayer
Last Nite – The Strokes
No Stress (Club Mix) – Laurent Wolf
Here It Goes Again – OK Go
My Michelle – Guns N’ Roses
She’s Only 18 – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Mansard Roof – Vampire Weekend
Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd
Give It Away – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Jerk It Out – Caesars
Bittersweet Symphony – The Verve
M79 – Vampire Weekend
Viva la Vida – Coldplay
Champion – Kanye West
Rock & Roll Queen – The Subways
Bang Bang – Dispatch
Paper Planes – M.I.A.
Everyone Nose – N.E.R.D
House of the Rising Sun – The Animals
Gravity – John Mayer
Ruby Tuesday – The Rolling Stones
Come As You Are – Nirvana
I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing – Aerosmith
Maybe I’m Amazed – Paul McCartney & Wings
Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games (Album Version) – Of Montreal
Cocaine – Eric Clapton
Caring Is Creepy – The Shins

A: A few Flobots songs never hurt anybody, I recommend Onomatopoeia, Rise, Handlebars, Happy together remake, and Samething. Also, couple of years old but Feel Good Inc. by the Gorrilaz. I do see some rap in there, does anyone like reggae? Beenie man could cover that gap if you want, like Girls Dem Sugar, Dude, Hmm Hmm, and Girls. Hmm, if I can think of anything else, I’ll get back at ya.

Q: 10 POINTS for the best help with this playlist. ?
So I’m throwing this party, which will have a live band but they can’t play for that long so I thought I’d throw together a playlist for the rest of the time, there will be a very diverse crowd (hence the rap), but mostly it’s alternative and classic rock, I would appreciate it if anybody would make suggestions for additions or subtractions. i have means to acquire pretty much any song so go ahead. Thanks =)

I’m Gonna Love The Hell Out Of You – Silver Jews
Santeria – Sublime
The Joker – Steve Miller Band
Nausea – Beck
Highway Chile – Jimi Hendrix
Cobrastyle – Teddybears featuring Mad Cobra
A Milli – Lil Wayne ft. Cory Gunz
Oxford Comma – Vampire Weekend
Sour Cherry – The Kills
Fire – Jimi Hendrix
Manic Depression – Jimi Hendrix
Lover – Devendra Banhart
Caress Me Down – Sublime
Tango – Great Caesar & The GoGetters
Gravity’s Rainbow – Klaxons
Bohemian Like You – The Dandy Warhols
I Turn My Camera On – Spoon
Play Your Part (Pt. 1) – Girl Talk
Mr. Brownstone – Guns N’ Roses
New Soul – Yael Naim
The Middle – Jimmy Eat World
Juicebox – The Strokes
Hash Pipe – Weezer
Ch-Check It Out – Beastie Boy
Sweet Honey – Slightly Stoopid
The World At Large – Modest Mouse
Honk If You’re Lonely – Silver Jews
Georgia On My Mind – Ray Charles
Imagine – John Lennon
Touch It / Technologic – Daft Punk
Sunshine Of Your Love – Cream
A Million Ways – OK Go
Pass the Dutchie – Sonic Youth
Sex On Fire – Kings Of Leon
Revolution – The Beatles
Sultans Of Swing – Dire Straits
All the Young Dudes – The F-Ups
Off The Record – My Morning Jacket
Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta – Geto Boys
Purple Haze – Jimi Hendrix
Heavy Metal Drummer – Wilco
Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat) – Digable Planets
Valerie – The Zutons
Girl – Beck
Get Low – Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz
Soul Eyes – John Coltrane
Flathead – The Fratellis
With A Little Help From My Friends – The Beatles
Wolf Like Me – TV On the Radio
Purple Haze – Jimi Hendrix
Stacie Anne – The Fratellis
Lean Back – Terror Squad Feat Fat Joe & Remy
URA FEVER – The Kills
Light My Fire – The Doors
Wonderwall – Oasis
Apologize Remix – Timbaland ft One Republic, Lil’ Wayne & Bun B
Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes
Free Fallin’ – Tom Petty
Foxey Lady – Jimi Hendrix
Crash Remix – Dave Matthews Band
Youthenized (Horn Intro) – Great Caesar & The GoGetters
Oh Yeah – The Subways
Are You Gonna Be My Girl – Jet
Hump de Bump – Red Hot Chili Peppers
So Says I – The Shins
Baby Got Back – Sir Mix-a-Lot
Slow Dancing in a Burning Room – John Mayer
Last Nite – The Strokes
No Stress (Club Mix) – Laurent Wolf
Here It Goes Again – OK Go
My Michelle – Guns N’ Roses
She’s Only 18 – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Mansard Roof – Vampire Weekend
Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd
Give It Away – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Jerk It Out – Caesars
Bittersweet Symphony – The Verve
M79 – Vampire Weekend
Viva la Vida – Coldplay
Sunrise – Yeasayer
Maps – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Feel Good Inc. – Gorillaz
Is This Love – Bob Marley
Champion – Kanye West
Rock & Roll Queen – The Subways
Bang Bang – Dispatch
Paper Planes – M.I.A.
Everyone Nose – N.E.R.D
House of the Rising Sun – The Animals
Gravity – John Mayer
Ruby Tuesday – The Rolling Stones
Come As You Are – Nirvana
I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing – Aerosmith
Maybe I’m Amazed – Paul McCartney & Wings
Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games (Album Version) – Of Montreal
Caring Is Creepy – The Shins
Three Little Birds – Bob Marley

A: Just make sure you have some T.I. Paper Trail

Q: Classic Rock!!!?
so im absloutely inlove with a good bit of this genra.
but i usually listen to a classic rock statino, and hope i get the era i seem to preferr[60/70's] but i cant write down song names when im driving…so i was hoping you guys can help me.

heres a list of stuff i already know & like!
Rolling stones-paint it black; satisfaction
simon and garfunkel – sounds of silence
Donovan- feris weel
Lovin spoonful- summer in the city
Steppinwolf-born2bwild
ALL BEATLES, but mainly the later “trippy” things post sgt pepper.
The doors[out of morrison hotel and self titled albums i prefer selftitled]
Norman ???- spirit in the sky
ALLPINKFLOYD
Jefferson starship-white rabbit
badcompany – badcompany
jimi hendrix – manic depression foxylady
ALL LEDZEPPLIN
Blu oyster cult- dont fear the reaper
byrds – turn
guesswho- green eyed lady, no sugar2night
Black sabbaths album Paranoid minus iron man
IRON BUTTERFLY in a gada da vida

any one have any other sugestions??? =]

A: This is a very good list you have and really great suggestions everyone has given. I think it is great that you like this era of rock and roll. The 60s and 70s were the greatest for rock and roll music. Consider some of these:
Elton John – Grestest Hits and Goodbye yellow brick road cds.
Paul McCartney and Wings – Greatest Hits cd.
John Lennon – The John Lennon Collection cd.
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Platinum and Gold and One More from the road cds.
Queen – Greatest Hits cd.
Fleetwood Mac – Rumours and Greatest Hits cds. Greatest Hits has 16 of some their best songs on it.
Boston – Their debut album titiled Boston and Don’t look back.
Three Dog Night – Old Fashioned love song, Never been to
Spain and One. These are my favorite songs of theirs.
Rush – Rush Chronicles cd. I have this cd and it has a lot their good songs on it.
The Doobies Brothers – China Grove, Jesus is just alright and It keeps your runnin. Very good songs. I have a cd titled Best of The Doobie Brother it is loaded with good music.
Kansas – They have a cd titled The Best of Kansas it has all of their great music.
The Mamas and The Papas – California Dreamin.
Cream – White Room and Badge.
Billy Joel – Piano Man.
Heart – Magic Man, Dreamboat Annie and Crazy on you.
Peter Frampton – Do you feel like we do.
Neil Young – Heart of Gold and Southern Man.
Allman Brothers – Jessica and Whipping Post
This is just to name a few.
A suggestion, if you know the name of a band but don’t know the name of the song or know the song but not the band go out on Amazon.com click on their music section and type in the band or song as well as some of these cds I have named. Scroll through and click on the cd titles most of the time you can click on songs and get to hear a 30 second clip. I hope this is helpful.

Q: What are your top 20 classic rock songs of all time?
In no order

20.Black Sabbath – Sweet Leaf

19.Led Zeppelin – Trampled Under Foot

18.Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here

17.John Lennon – Imagine

16.The Beatles – Sgt.Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band

15.David Bowie – Ziggy Stardust

14.The Grateful Dead – Friend of the Devil

13.John Lennon – Give Peace A Chance

12.The Who – Wont Get Fooled Again

11.The Doors – Peace Frog

10.Led Zeppelin Stairway to Heaven

9.Jimi Hendrix – Manic Depression

8.Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb

7.The Beatles – Hey Jude

6.The Doors – Back Door Man

5.Bob Dylan – Like A Rolling Stone

4.The Who – Boba O Riley

3.Jimi Hendrix – Red House

2.David Bowie Rebel Rebel

1.David Bowie Life on Mars?
BQ:What do you think of this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raPwHmwHd_w
You can post 10 if you dont feel like posting 20

A: the weight by the band, hey jude by the beatles, born to run by bruce springsteen, khe san by cold chisel, all along the watchtower by bob dylan/jimi hendrix, like a rolling sone by bob dylan, friday on my mind by the easybeats, do you believe in magic by the lovin spoonful, alive by pearl jam, better man by pearl jam, californication by red hot chili peppers, maggie may by rod stewart, back in black by ac/dc, gimme shelter by the rolling stones, fortunate son by ccr, cocaine by eric clapton, wish you were here by pink floyd, who are you by the who, rock and roll music by chuck berry, go your own way by fleetwood mac

Q: What’s your favorite song about emotions?
I like Manic Depression by Jimi Hendrix and Sweet Emotion by Aerosmith

BQ: What emotions are you feeling right now?

A: I like those songs too. I have a pretty varied taste in music here, so bear with me!

“Hurt” – Johnny Cash (Nine Inch Nails Cover)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o22eIJDtKho

“45″ – Shinedown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kwpbvruBhI&feature=related

“Everybody Hurts” – REM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Av_uz4IwD4&feature=PlayList&p=D9625607955DC7E8&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=1

“Emotional Rescue” – The Rolling Stones

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uythToa7LRw

“Emotion” – The Bee Gees

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBgAj4cNee4

BA: I’ve been feeling pretty down and depressed. Kinda hopeless sometimes. My sister and brother-in-law are visiting this weekend from out of state – saw them yesterday and it made me feel a little better!

Q: What is your favourite track by Jimi Hendrix?
Just listening to “Manic Depression”, and it is …..!

But I know that the next one on my Playlist will be as good, if not better.

Views please. Thanks!
Scotsman- good shout!

A: The Wind Cries Mary and Little Wing are Fab!

You should check out Stevie Ray Vaughn whose music was similar to Hendrix

Q: Mitch Mitchell, the drummer and the last surviving member of the Jimi Hendrix Experience has died?
Here’s what the article said:

Mitch Mitchell, drummer for the legendary Jimi Hendrix Experience of the 1960s and the group’s last surviving member, was found dead in his hotel room early Wednesday. He was 61.

Mitchell was a powerful force on the Hendrix band’s 1967 debut album “Are You Experienced?” as well as the trio’s albums “Electric Ladyland” and “Axis: Bold As Love.” He had an explosive drumming style that can be heard in hard-charging songs such as “Fire” and “Manic Depression.”

The Englishman had been drumming for the Experience Hendrix Tour, which performed Friday in Portland. It was the last stop on the West Coast part of the tour.

Hendrix died in 1970. Bass player Noel Redding died in 2003.

An employee at Portland’s Benson Hotel called police after discovering Mitchell’s body.

Erin Patrick, a deputy medical examiner, said Mitchell apparently died of natural causes. An autopsy was planned.

“He was a wonderful man, a brilliant musician and a true friend,” said Janie Hendrix, chief executive of the Experience Hendrix Tour and Jimi Hendrix’ stepsister. “His role in shaping the sound of the Jimi Hendrix Experience cannot be underestimated.”

Bob Merlis, a spokesman for the tour, said Mitchell had stayed in Portland for a four-day vacation and planned to leave Wednesday.

“It was a devastating surprise,” Merlis said. “Nobody drummed like he did.”

He said he saw Mitchell perform two weeks ago in Los Angeles, and the drummer appeared to be healthy and upbeat.

Merlis said the tour was designed to bring together veteran musicians who had known Hendrix — like Mitchell — and younger artists, such as Grammy-nominated winner Jonny Lang, who have been influenced by him.

Blues-rock guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd, who is 31 and was part of the tour, said Mitchell was to the drums what Hendrix was to the guitar.

“Today many of us have lost a dear friend, and the world has lost a rock n’ roll hero,” he said.

The classic rock world is losing her heroes. From Rick Wright to Mitch Mitchell, hopefully we don’t continue to lose these amazing and historic musicians, at least for a long time. RIP Mitch Mitchell. You will be missed.

What’s your favorite Jimi Hendrix Experience song?

A: What is it with everyone dying all of a sudden? :*(

That is sad, RIP Mitch.

Wow, I don’t know, there are so many to choose from.. Really, too many. I’ve been listening to Spanish Castle Magic a lot recently though.

Q: What do you think of Jimi Hendrix and his skills?
I think he is absolutely amazing. One of the greatest musicians of all time. He seemed to have god-given guitar skills. Too bad he died so young, only 27, i think. Which Hendrix songs do you like?
I like Voodoo Child (Slight Return), Little Wing, Fire, Foxy Lady, All Along the Watchtower, Purple Haze, Machine Gun, The Wind Cries Mary, Red House, Can You See Me?, Hey Joe, Manic Depression, Crosstown Traffic, The Star Spangled Banner, and others!!!!!
Watch Voodoo Child (Slight Return) live at Woodstock on YouTube. Watch the whole video and if you are not absolutely amazed, you are some punk ass loser who will never know what real music is.

A: You are so right! Hendrix is SO amazing! There will never be another Jimi Hendrix. He must be the most influential guitarist in history. People argue over who is better: Jimmy Page or Eddie Van Halen and that sort of thing but the only thing we know for sure is that Hendrix is better than all of them. Jimi Hendrix has more than just skill, man.
I like those songs too! Yeah, I like mroe songs too, but if I name one, I’m goign to have to name all of them, and that will take forever!
Rock on, dude.

Q: Do you think Jimi Hendrix was bipolar?
Of course he did the song manic depression, but do alot of his guitar solos sound manic to you? To me they do, and to the point of a reflection of mania. what do you think?
I like the answers, good points. no best answer though, having asked for opinions….

A: It is very likely that he was. Being creative and self-destructive at the same time is very indicative of this. And I also agree that the song “Manic-Depression” is completely true to his life.

Another thing to think about is the fact that psycho-active drugs that a person is on can actually trigger such illnesses as bipolar, schizophrenia, or other psychotic disorders.

Q: What is your favorite Jimi Hendrix song and why?
I love “Burning of the Midnight Lamp” and “Manic Depression”…

A: bold as love…from axis and Angel…both are incredible songs of emotion and universal love

Q: What is the colour of bipolar / manic depression?
what colour is used for bipolar / manic depression – for example on ribbons etc etc??

Also is there a universal symbol for bipolar?? I saw one that looks kinda like a capital P but with the round part in the middle – do you know what it means??

Thanks

A: That would be a silver ribbon. It covers all genres of mental illness, as well as children with diabeties (I don’t know why diabeties is lumped into that category, but oh well).

As for a universal symbol, can’t say I’ve ever heard of one, sorry.

Q: Bipolar (manic depression) How do you handle the depressive rocketing out into mania?
My roommate has become a “Rocket Man” with manic behavior and I am stuck here with his mania. As I am bipolar myself, I am aware of the symptoms, but don’t know how to handle this guy.

A: Mania can be a very dangerous phase, and as for trying to control someone there – it is difficult.

Clearly if they are a friend then you need to watch out for them and try too stop them doing anything too dangerous or stupid.

Perhaps you can then talk when they are feeling better and ask them when it happens next time what they would like you to do for them.

Q: How many people with bipolar/manic-depression are on answers to night?
Wanted to see who has been staying awake all night, that way I’ll have someone to chat with. The more research I read on manic-depression the more I learn to appreciate my illness and you the excellent talents that come with it. There has been a correlation found between manic-depression, intelligence, and creativity. Something to be proud of; we are all wonderful and talanted people.
Does anyone feel like chatting tonight?

A: My mother and mother in law are both bipolar. Currently waiting on tests that are supposed to say that I am as well. One big manic depressive family

Q: How is mental illness such as bipolar/manic depression + depression in general treated in egypt?
According to someone w/ a psychology degree in egypt, acceptance and understanding of mental disorders is a fairly new phenomenon. I’d like to know what kind of treatment people w/ bipolar receive in egypt since I find those w/ the “disease” fascinating individuals (tend to be musicians and artists…and to the potential uninformed person who wants to go off on multiple personalities and schizophrenia, it’s medically not the same as manic depression/bipolar. You’ll find that fact pointed out in a beginning psychology text book). Also, if recognition of mental illness isn’t as prevalent since the acceptance of mental sicknesses are kind of new, is there a severely high rate of suicide or other destructive behaviors? And with the lack of availability of jobs preventing ppl. from marrying at the time they would like to marry (and probably being a major factor in ppl. feeling sexually repressed and possibly upset often because of it), are depression rates high? If so, what is done4 it

A: I agree, it is really only just being acknowledged as a treatable condition in many countries, including Egypt.
Regarding Egypt,one problem faced is the difficulty of obtaining a correct diagnosis.
Most Egyptian people can not afford to seek a medical referral to a consulting specialist diagnostician in this area.
Many in fact cannot afford basic medical care,so this type of condition if recognised, becomes a low priority for committing money to.
There are among some, cultural issues to be considered.
More pronounced conditions also go untreated, not just because of the families financial situation and lack of treatment centres.
But also because any “illness” that is considered to weaken a person’s character, such as bipolar /manic depression, would be a form of discredit to the whole family.
Especially if the patient was male.
Up until very recently this was also the attitude of Western cultures,including America ,Europe and Australia.
Many would send the affected family member away to distant relatives to be cared for.
Or have them institutionalised.
It was a relatively common practice to lock the individual away from the eyes of even close friends and neighbours.
Denial by the individual is likely to play a very big part in the lack of those diagnosed and treated .
If at all possible, a normal “front” is played out with excuses made for the severe episodes.
This is still prevalent in the West,and is unlikely to change much at all in Egypt and other countries whose public health care system is deficiant in so many areas,such as education and availability by all to treatment.
Until education enlightens the inherent fear of any problem affecting our way of behaviours, those with these types of conditions will sadly continue to go untreated .

Q: Can you give me factual medical information on bipolar manic depression?
I was diagnosed with this. I take medication to keep at a stable medium mood. But at times my moods drop into severe depression and even suicidal modes. Last night was the first night that every two minutes I delt with a different mood. Happy, crying, panic attacks, self destructive, suicidal, worthlessness, and a medium stable clear headed mood. Every two minutes was a change. I know my stress levels have increased due to factors in my life. When in a stable medium mood I almost feel “normal”. In times like these I think maybe I need to be locked away in a psych facility long term with no people contact and be isolated. My mind runs rapid. My chest feel like it will explode at times. I cant breath. Then I feel worthless and hopeless and unloved and cry. Too much for one person to handle. I take medication. Should I take more? Or a different kind? I am going today back to the doctor for a check up on the bipolar. Do you have any helpful info to help me deal with this battle?

A: It hard to tell everything from what little you wrote, but it seems you have a few more problems than just bipolar, maybe some paranoia and schizophrenia. You say you take medication. Do you take it regularly everyday like the doctor prescribed, or do you miss a lot of doses? Most psych meds are meant to be taken continuously, even on days that you feel good. Don’t stop without asking your doctor first. Maybe you should check into a mental health facility for an extended stay, like 6 months to a year. Don’t think of it as a bad thing or being “locked away”. The doctors are there to help you get control of your life. They can monitor your meds daily and see what works best for you. You can’t do that by yourself. From what you wrote, it sounds like you are a danger to yourself and possibly others. Ask a family member to help you find a good facility close by. Don’t wait until its too late.

Q: What is it like having bipolar (manic depression)?
Tell me what your depression is about for instance what issue in your life is keeping you depressed? Do you believe you can’t change this issue but you think someone else could?

Also what are you high about? What other issue that is not a depression but is something that others don’t have in their lives that which you are manic over?

A: People with Bipolar Disorder go through long periods of deep depression followed by long periods of mania or elevated mood, long period meaning weeks or months or years…..

This is what it is like to have Bipolar disorder:

Depression – too tired to get out of bed, shower, even to brush my teeth. Cry all the time, sleep 16 hours a day. Feelings of self loathing and guilt that drive me to think of suicide but I’m to tired to even think about how to go about killing myself……. this can last from a couple of weeks to a couple of years.

Mania – Way too happy! PARTY GIRL! love drink and drugs. Talk really fast and pressured because my thoughts are going faster than my mouth can keep up with. Hypersexual – like I sleep with strangers and guys I just met on the internet or I masturbate 10 times a day. I once became bisexual because there were twice as many people to sleep with. Spending sprees….. I once spent my mortgage money on african violets, yep, $1500 on African violets (then I got depressed and let them all die). Quit my job because I wanted my vacation pay for lottery tickets and I was so convinced I would win that I started shopping and writing bad checks because I’d be rich as soon as the numbers were drawn. Only sleep 2 or maybe 3 hours a night for months on end and never feel tired. This can last for months

I also have mixed states when I am depressed and manic at the same time which are truly the worst… By body and mind are depressed but there is this undercurrent of energy running all the time….. I’m highly emotional but the emotions tend to be negative (guilt and anger) I have intrusive thoughts and urges to mutilate myself (like wanting to stick my hands in the garbage disposal or cooking them on the BBQ). This is when I am most suseptible to suicide because I am depressed, wanting to hurt myself, and I have the mental energy to plan and carry it out.

There are not issues that cause depression or mania or any of the other Bipolar symptoms….. it is strictly because of changing chemistry in the brain. The changes happen completely randomly and have no “issies” triggering them. Most people’s brains are very good at regulating the levels of chemicals in their brains…. Thos with Bipolar do not have that regulation so our brains chemical levels swing all over the place…..

Q: What is the difference between Bipolar, manic depression, and?
boarderline personality disorder? How does one determine if they have one of these disorders or if they are just suffering from depression and anxiety?

A: Bipolar and Manic depression are the same thing.BPD is a personality disorder.

Q: I am bipolar (manic depression) and am taking lamictal and just started to take Invega for depression.?
I have reworded a question I asked last week to make it a bit more clearer. Unfortunately I was unable to get any good answers because I probably did not explain exactly what my condition is.

Has anyone that is bipolar (manic depression) ever been on the combo of Lamictal for manic depression and Invega which helps with depression that creeps up while on Lamictal?

A: The invega is not for depression but as an antipsychotic for bipolar disorder.It will pevent you going into mania if lamictal cannot control the mood swings

Q: HELP! Does anyone know a natural medication for bipolar/manic-depression or any natural ways to cope?
Even though I’ve been in hell all my life I know there is light here and at the end of the tunnel. I know all things can change and become better from the inside in a natural way. I feel that to get a prescription from a psychiatrist is no different than hitting yourself in the head with a hammer. I won’t know ’till I try, but I don’t want to risk it. It’s too scary and dangerous. If anyone out there knows of any natural way of going about something this terrible, please help me! Thank you!

A: The meds have side-effects and can have long-term harm, but untreated bipolar has long-term harm too. Like a lower life expectancy, probably all that stress and negative emotions working on your heart and all that. Also, there is considerable evidence that untreated bipolar progresses, causing brain damage. Treating it seems to help reverse or at least stop the brain damage. There are brain scans and autopsies showing this. Try bipolarworld.net for more, click on Dr. Phelps (ask the doctor) for more info.

I can tell you from personal experience, natural treatments will not be enough. The reason the psychiatrists tell people with bipolar that they need to be on meds is because it is true. Doctors tell diabetics they may avoid drugs if diet and exercise work, and they encourage them to try, docs do not say that for bipolar. Because it won’t work!! It will help, but it is not enuf.

Here are my bipolar treatment tips:

#1 You need to take the meds as prescribed. You can’t miss. A lot of people forget from time to time, and the pills can’t work if you forget to take them. There are pill boxes with little alarms on them. If your symptoms are getting bad, you need to call up your psychiatrist for a med adjustment. You may never get complete relief, but you will need to try things maybe for a few YEARS to be sure you can’t tweak things to a really good place for you.

#2 You probably will need the support of a counselor all your life. You have to learn to cope with stress better than most people, because stress makes the bipolar symptoms a lot worse. You will also have to make big efforts to keep a good social support network. To avoid burning through people, make sure you apologize sincerely and often if you go off on them or ignore them due to symptoms. You may want to join a support group with other people with mood disorders, they will give you a break and take it less personally when you relapse. Get some books on reducing stress. Over time, work your life into a low-stress direction.

#3 You need to keep a routine. Get up and go to bed at the same time each day. Sleeping in makes depression worse, staying up all night makes mania worse. Never take a swing shift type job.

If your depression seems to be more of a problem in the winter, try to get more sun. You could have seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, or your depression could have a seasonal component, meaning you can get depressed other times of the year, but you tend to have more trouble in the winter. A light box is really good if you can afford one (about $300 online, don’t get it at a local store, they will charge more for a light less than 1/2 as bright). Since I will always have a mood disorder, I have put in extra windows, keep the drapes mounted so they don’t cover them, make sure I spend a lot of time in southern exposure rooms, painted the walls peach and yellow, mostly. I even have a skylight, although that was here when I moved in (and I LOVE it, it helps a lot!!!!!)

If anxiety is a component of your depression, try turning the heat up in the house or dressing much more warmly. It is hard to feel anxiety when you are too warm. I was able to cut out ativan use altogether by using this trick. Saved me big $$ too, because pills cost way more than heat. Hot baths work too, and in a pinch, like at work/school, you can try running hot water over your hands. Also, if anxiety is a primary problem, avoid caffeine like the plague. I personally use a lot of caffeine, because the depression is much more of a problem than the anxiety. Can’t win for losing! Also, some cold remedies can cause anxiety and mania, and lack of control. Look for the “agitation in children” warning on the box. Adult bipolar folks can get problems too. Other drugs can trigger mania, too, like steroids (given at surgery I think).

Try meditation tapes like progressive muscle relaxation or guided imagery. They may seem silly at first, but they work!! They help reduce stress, which makes depression worse.
Go out with friends, and if you don’t have any, find a club to join and MAKE yourself go until you actually look forward to it. Isolation makes depression worse. I go to a social club for people with severe mental illness, because I’m ashamed of my disability and don’t want to deal with the “what do you do for a living” question.

Exercise at least 1/2 hour a day, and anytime you feel really hyper or depressed. Exercise is a great mood stabilizer and cuts down on anxiety a lot.

If your mania makes it hard for you to sleep, here are some good “sleep hygeine” tips so you can sleep better. Like go to bed and get up about the same time each day, even weekends. Don’t use your bedroom to watch TV and read and use the computer and all that-just use the room as a bedroom normally would be used. Don’t do stuff that pumps you up right before bed, like exercising and using the computer. (sooooooooooo hard!) You want to use that last hour to wind down-Take a bath? Make the bedroom really dark, cover up the clock radio, even so the light doesn’t shine at you. If you live in the rackety city, use a noise generator (makes wave sounds and the like) to cover up the city sounds. Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening.

Put a lot of colorful things around the house, happy type things, and keep the blinds open and let the sun in. Get yourself some flowers. Put on some nice clothes. Make a list of things that make you happy. Here’s some things on my list: A basket full of fluffy kittens, bread fresh from the oven, Fireworks popping on a warm summer evening, The first fireflies of the season, the scent of Jergen’s cherry almond lotion, The crisp sound of a saltine cracker breaking, fresh sheets on the bed, flicking a topwater lure out onto the morning-still lake water, etc. Use all your senses and read that list when you are breaking down.

Work on time management if being overwhelmed and late for things and too much to do is getting to you. Cut back on other responsibilities temporarily so you can spend more restorative time with friends and family. Ask for help when you are really having symptoms. You have to learn to be humble here, if you need help, you need help. Try your best to be really, really organized, so when you ditz out from cognitive problems, it will be OK.

Make sure friends will intervene if you are manic, or you will bankrupt yourself or get a sexually transmitted disease or something awful like that.

You got a significant other? Extra physical touch is very helpful. Most people in the US or UK are touch deprived, so hold hands more, hug more, give shoulder rubs, etc. A pet is good to cuddle with, too, if your home situation allows you to get one. (I’m an animal lover, don’t get one if you can’t commit to it for 15 years)

If your bipolar is severe (poorly controlled by meds) then consider asking for help from social services. My county offers classes and there is also a consumer run drop in center, which is a fun club for people with mental illnesses run by people with mental illnesses. We play cards and pictionary and do crafts and take trips places, etc. The drop in center has helped me more than anything else, except the pills. Social support-so important!!

Go to bipolarworld.net and read all of Dr. Phelp’s (Ask the Doctor) stuff, including the links to his site. You can learn a lot from him, he’s a bipolar specialist.

I hope some of these tips have helped!!

Q: what is a good site to us for research on manic bipolar depression?
what is a good site to us for research on manic bipolar depression

A: http://health.yahoo.com/mentalhealth-overview/bipolar-disorder-topic-overview/healthwise–ty1019.html

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder/complete-index.shtml

Q: Are manic depression and Bipolar disorder really the same thing?
I was diagnosed with Manic Depression about three years ago. I stopped taking the meds after six months because I didn’t like what they do to me.

I have been having difficulty with my MD a lot lately–it’s been worse. Mood swings for no causes whatsoever. I was googling some alternatives to prescribed medication for Manic Depression and everything that came up was Bipolar disorder.

I knew that the two were similar–but are they really the same thing?

A: Yes, they are two names for the same disorder. Manic Depression is the old name for what is now called Bipolar Disorder. Professionals chose to discard the name “Manic Depression” or “Manic-Depressive Disorder” in favor of Bipolar Disorder because it is more accurate. Not all forms of bipolar cause manic episodes – bipolar II does not have manic features, but instead the patient suffers from “hypomanic” or “sub-manic” episodes. Cyclothymia also has these hypomanic features, as well as less profound depressive episodes. Because of the different varieties of the disorder, the name “Manic Depression” was misleading and inaccurate, so it was changed to Bipolar Disorder.

Hope that helps clear things up!

Q: What is the difference between Bipolar Disorder and Manic Depression?
Every time I search for facts on Manic Depression, I get stuff on Bipolar Disorder instead, so is it the same thing?

A: I believe mental health professionals no longer use the term manic-depression, now it is officially called bipolar disorder.

Occasionally the DSM changes the names of certain disorders. For example there is no longer such a thing as ADD, now there is only ADHD with or without hyperactivity.

However, once a certain name has been used for so long, the name kinda sticks.

Q: Any words of advice or comfort for the husband of a Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression) sufferer?
I have been married to my wife Josie for just over 7 months. She suffers from Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression), though only really suffers the “manic” cycles. She is currently displaying her trigger symptoms, which are “suspicious thoughts” where she thinks she is in some kind of spy story. Although I thought I’d be able to be strong for her, I’ve found myself very scared and worried.
I am obviously encouraging her to keep the specialist up to date, especially while she is aware of it, in the hope that they can suggest medication etc to stop it ballooning into anything as serious as she has suffered in years gone by.
Just wondered if there was anyone out there with any words of wisdom?
Thanks in advance for your time.
Martin
You may have to forgive my spelling here, but my wife’s medication is Lithium and Olanzapine. The latter has been increased in dose recently, as she is also taking beta-blockers to combat recent migraines.

A: I really feel for you, my husband has bi-polar and we have been married for 17 years.
I found a great book that has helped me to understand the illness a little better, if you can get a copy, it is well worth the read. “Loving Someone with Bi-Polar Disorder” helping & understanding your partner, By Julie A Fast and John D Preston, PSY.D.

Staying on meds and taking at the right time and right dose does not always keep someone with bi-polar stable, it will help flaten out the mood swings but not stop them altogether. If that is the case for your wife, you should both sit down with her doctor and work out a plan of action for when the cycle starts to change.

Q: How should I approach interacting with a person with bipolar or manic depression?
I’ve come across an individual who has bipolar disorder. It seems like this person has some serious issues and is trying to demand a fair amount from me, which I’m really resisting. I just don’t think it’s my place to get involved in the issues. I don’t have the training or skills.

However, I wonder, in general, how I might interact with this person to help while not getting sucked in to the problem.

A: Are you sure he has bipolar disorder or Borderline personality disorder ? Sometimes the symptoms can have overlap. The biggest issue in case of bipolars is managing their mood swings , their anger and rage. You must win his trust and ensure that even in worst of episodes he can be controlled by you. Also observe if he is exhibiting any signs of excessive spending , gambling or in depressive state suicidal attempts or suicidal ideation. Basically ensure that he does not cause any harm to himself or anyone around the society.

Q: Bipolar Manic Depression Disorder ?
I was just told that i have Bipolar Manic Depression Disorder (BPMDD) and i am worried because i feel as if i am broken. I am worried because I don’t know anyone else my age who has it.

A: I’m 24. I have it.

Q: How is mental illness such as bipolar/manic depression + depression in general treated in egypt?
According to someone w/ a psychology degree in egypt, acceptance and understanding of mental disorders is a fairly new phenomenon. I’d like to know what kind of treatment people w/ bipolar receive in egypt since I find those w/ the “disease” fascinating individuals (tend to be musicians and artists…and to the potential uninformed person who wants to go off on multiple personalities and schizophrenia, it’s medically not the same as manic depression/bipolar. You’ll find that fact pointed out in a beginning psychology text book). Also, if recognition of mental illness isn’t as prevalent since the acceptance of mental sicknesses are kind of new, is there a severely high rate of suicide or other destructive behaviors? And with the lack of availability of jobs preventing ppl. from marrying at the time they would like to marry (and probably being a major factor in ppl. feeling sexually repressed and possibly upset often because of it), are depression rates high? If so, what is done4 it

A: I agree, it is really only just being acknowledged as a treatable condition in many countries, including Egypt.
Regarding Egypt,one problem faced is the difficulty of obtaining a correct diagnosis.
Most Egyptian people can not afford to seek a medical referral to a consulting specialist diagnostician in this area.
Many in fact cannot afford basic medical care,so this type of condition if recognised, becomes a low priority for committing money to.
There are among some, cultural issues to be considered.
More pronounced conditions also go untreated, not just because of the families financial situation and lack of treatment centres.
But also because any “illness” that is considered to weaken a person’s character, such as bipolar /manic depression, would be a form of discredit to the whole family.
Especially if the patient was male.
Up until very recently this was also the attitude of Western cultures,including America ,Europe and Australia.
Many would send the affected family member away to distant relatives to be cared for.
Or have them institutionalised.
It was a relatively common practice to lock the individual away from the eyes of even close friends and neighbours.
Denial by the individual is likely to play a very big part in the lack of those diagnosed and treated .
If at all possible, a normal “front” is played out with excuses made for the severe episodes.
This is still prevalent in the West,and is unlikely to change much at all in Egypt and other countries whose public health care system is deficiant in so many areas,such as education and availability by all to treatment.
Until education enlightens the inherent fear of any problem affecting our way of behaviours, those with these types of conditions will sadly continue to go untreated .

Q: What is the colour of bipolar / manic depression?
what colour is used for bipolar / manic depression – for example on ribbons etc etc??

Also is there a universal symbol for bipolar?? I saw one that looks kinda like a capital P but with the round part in the middle – do you know what it means??

Thanks

A: That would be a silver ribbon. It covers all genres of mental illness, as well as children with diabeties (I don’t know why diabeties is lumped into that category, but oh well).

As for a universal symbol, can’t say I’ve ever heard of one, sorry.

Q: Are manic depression and Bipolar disorder really the same thing?
I was diagnosed with Manic Depression about three years ago. I stopped taking the meds after six months because I didn’t like what they do to me.

I have been having difficulty with my MD a lot lately–it’s been worse. Mood swings for no causes whatsoever. I was googling some alternatives to prescribed medication for Manic Depression and everything that came up was Bipolar disorder.

I knew that the two were similar–but are they really the same thing?

A: Yes, they are two names for the same disorder. Manic Depression is the old name for what is now called Bipolar Disorder. Professionals chose to discard the name “Manic Depression” or “Manic-Depressive Disorder” in favor of Bipolar Disorder because it is more accurate. Not all forms of bipolar cause manic episodes – bipolar II does not have manic features, but instead the patient suffers from “hypomanic” or “sub-manic” episodes. Cyclothymia also has these hypomanic features, as well as less profound depressive episodes. Because of the different varieties of the disorder, the name “Manic Depression” was misleading and inaccurate, so it was changed to Bipolar Disorder.

Hope that helps clear things up!

Q: Bipolar (manic depression) How do you handle the depressive rocketing out into mania?
My roommate has become a “Rocket Man” with manic behavior and I am stuck here with his mania. As I am bipolar myself, I am aware of the symptoms, but don’t know how to handle this guy.

A: Mania can be a very dangerous phase, and as for trying to control someone there – it is difficult.

Clearly if they are a friend then you need to watch out for them and try too stop them doing anything too dangerous or stupid.

Perhaps you can then talk when they are feeling better and ask them when it happens next time what they would like you to do for them.

Q: How many people with bipolar/manic-depression are on answers to night?
Wanted to see who has been staying awake all night, that way I’ll have someone to chat with. The more research I read on manic-depression the more I learn to appreciate my illness and you the excellent talents that come with it. There has been a correlation found between manic-depression, intelligence, and creativity. Something to be proud of; we are all wonderful and talanted people.
Does anyone feel like chatting tonight?

A: My mother and mother in law are both bipolar. Currently waiting on tests that are supposed to say that I am as well. One big manic depressive family

Q: what is a good site to us for research on manic bipolar depression?
what is a good site to us for research on manic bipolar depression

A: http://health.yahoo.com/mentalhealth-overview/bipolar-disorder-topic-overview/healthwise–ty1019.html

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder/complete-index.shtml

Q: Can you give me factual medical information on bipolar manic depression?
I was diagnosed with this. I take medication to keep at a stable medium mood. But at times my moods drop into severe depression and even suicidal modes. Last night was the first night that every two minutes I delt with a different mood. Happy, crying, panic attacks, self destructive, suicidal, worthlessness, and a medium stable clear headed mood. Every two minutes was a change. I know my stress levels have increased due to factors in my life. When in a stable medium mood I almost feel “normal”. In times like these I think maybe I need to be locked away in a psych facility long term with no people contact and be isolated. My mind runs rapid. My chest feel like it will explode at times. I cant breath. Then I feel worthless and hopeless and unloved and cry. Too much for one person to handle. I take medication. Should I take more? Or a different kind? I am going today back to the doctor for a check up on the bipolar. Do you have any helpful info to help me deal with this battle?

A: It hard to tell everything from what little you wrote, but it seems you have a few more problems than just bipolar, maybe some paranoia and schizophrenia. You say you take medication. Do you take it regularly everyday like the doctor prescribed, or do you miss a lot of doses? Most psych meds are meant to be taken continuously, even on days that you feel good. Don’t stop without asking your doctor first. Maybe you should check into a mental health facility for an extended stay, like 6 months to a year. Don’t think of it as a bad thing or being “locked away”. The doctors are there to help you get control of your life. They can monitor your meds daily and see what works best for you. You can’t do that by yourself. From what you wrote, it sounds like you are a danger to yourself and possibly others. Ask a family member to help you find a good facility close by. Don’t wait until its too late.

Q: What is it like having bipolar (manic depression)?
Tell me what your depression is about for instance what issue in your life is keeping you depressed? Do you believe you can’t change this issue but you think someone else could?

Also what are you high about? What other issue that is not a depression but is something that others don’t have in their lives that which you are manic over?

A: People with Bipolar Disorder go through long periods of deep depression followed by long periods of mania or elevated mood, long period meaning weeks or months or years…..

This is what it is like to have Bipolar disorder:

Depression – too tired to get out of bed, shower, even to brush my teeth. Cry all the time, sleep 16 hours a day. Feelings of self loathing and guilt that drive me to think of suicide but I’m to tired to even think about how to go about killing myself……. this can last from a couple of weeks to a couple of years.

Mania – Way too happy! PARTY GIRL! love drink and drugs. Talk really fast and pressured because my thoughts are going faster than my mouth can keep up with. Hypersexual – like I sleep with strangers and guys I just met on the internet or I masturbate 10 times a day. I once became bisexual because there were twice as many people to sleep with. Spending sprees….. I once spent my mortgage money on african violets, yep, $1500 on African violets (then I got depressed and let them all die). Quit my job because I wanted my vacation pay for lottery tickets and I was so convinced I would win that I started shopping and writing bad checks because I’d be rich as soon as the numbers were drawn. Only sleep 2 or maybe 3 hours a night for months on end and never feel tired. This can last for months

I also have mixed states when I am depressed and manic at the same time which are truly the worst… By body and mind are depressed but there is this undercurrent of energy running all the time….. I’m highly emotional but the emotions tend to be negative (guilt and anger) I have intrusive thoughts and urges to mutilate myself (like wanting to stick my hands in the garbage disposal or cooking them on the BBQ). This is when I am most suseptible to suicide because I am depressed, wanting to hurt myself, and I have the mental energy to plan and carry it out.

There are not issues that cause depression or mania or any of the other Bipolar symptoms….. it is strictly because of changing chemistry in the brain. The changes happen completely randomly and have no “issies” triggering them. Most people’s brains are very good at regulating the levels of chemicals in their brains…. Thos with Bipolar do not have that regulation so our brains chemical levels swing all over the place…..

Q: What is the difference between Bipolar, manic depression, and?
boarderline personality disorder? How does one determine if they have one of these disorders or if they are just suffering from depression and anxiety?

A: Bipolar and Manic depression are the same thing.BPD is a personality disorder.

Q: What are healthy ways dealing with manic depression bipolar? What are steps to healing and acceptance?

A: 1) Educating yourself on the subject
2) Attending a regular support group (NAMI)
3) Medications when necessary
4) Talk Therapy
5) Gaining support and understanding from your friends and family
6) Knowing that tomorrow is another day and you’ll feel better even if you think everything’s hopeless today.
7) Helping others that have medical problems that are worse than yours

Q: I am bipolar (manic depression) and am taking lamictal and just started to take Invega for depression.?
I have reworded a question I asked last week to make it a bit more clearer. Unfortunately I was unable to get any good answers because I probably did not explain exactly what my condition is.

Has anyone that is bipolar (manic depression) ever been on the combo of Lamictal for manic depression and Invega which helps with depression that creeps up while on Lamictal?

A: The invega is not for depression but as an antipsychotic for bipolar disorder.It will pevent you going into mania if lamictal cannot control the mood swings

Q: What is the difference between Bipolar Disorder and Manic Depression?
Every time I search for facts on Manic Depression, I get stuff on Bipolar Disorder instead, so is it the same thing?

A: I believe mental health professionals no longer use the term manic-depression, now it is officially called bipolar disorder.

Occasionally the DSM changes the names of certain disorders. For example there is no longer such a thing as ADD, now there is only ADHD with or without hyperactivity.

However, once a certain name has been used for so long, the name kinda sticks.

Q: My best friend likes someone with manic depression/bipolar? Please help.?
My best friend is getting depressed.

She is pretty much in love with this guy who she has known for years, and he likes her too.

The only problem is that he is bipolar/manic depressed and is really paranoid and when he is feeling down he doesnt come out for days. Im worried about my friend as she really loves him, and am worried if his depression will rub off on her?

A: Is he getting any kind of treatment for his illness? Being around someone who’s depressed and the fact that he isolates himself away from people can definitely make someone who loves them feel down too. If he gets treatment and learns how to manage his illness and they are honest and open with each other about what’s going on, they have a chance at having a normal happy relationship. If he doesn’t get help, it may become too much to bear for her no matter how much she loves him. For years I have had rocky relationships and I never could understand why until I was diagnosed bipolar II. Then it all made sense. The guys I was with may have loved me but couldn’t take the fact that there were days when I just didn’t want to be around anyone and I would cry for no reason and no matter how much they told me they loved me, I didn’t believe anyone could love me. I think they felt guilty that they couldn’t help me and finally gave up. I’m getting treatment now and my current bf and I are getting along just great (and we’ve been together for 3 years).

Q: what are the short and long term effects of manic depression (aka bipolar disorder)?
I have to do a power point about manic depression for both my science and health class, and I’m not going to be anywhere near a computer for the next week and everything is due on next Sunday. If you think this sounds kind of hurried, then, yeah, it pretty much is.

But, I was wondering if anyone new a website or information about the long and short term effects of this disease. If you’re giving me information from a website, the website would be most helpful. If you dont know where you got the information from, I’m sure I can fudge something up.

Thanks!

A: website below for you hope you get it done in time.

Q: Manic depression or bipolar disorder?
Whats the difference between manic depression and bipolar disorder? I’ve done the research on both disorders and I seem to be suffering from both. What is the best medication to help bipolar disorder and manic depression? This is taking over my life and I need a good medication to help me.

A: manic depression is also known as bipolar, here is a site on depression and antidepressant as well, hope it helps:

Q: What is the difference between Bipolar Disorder and Manic Depression?
Every time I search for facts on Manic Depression, I get stuff on Bipolar Disorder instead, so is it the same thing?

A: I believe mental health professionals no longer use the term manic-depression, now it is officially called bipolar disorder.

Occasionally the DSM changes the names of certain disorders. For example there is no longer such a thing as ADD, now there is only ADHD with or without hyperactivity.

However, once a certain name has been used for so long, the name kinda sticks.

Q: Any words of advice or comfort for the husband of a Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression) sufferer?
I have been married to my wife Josie for just over 7 months. She suffers from Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression), though only really suffers the “manic” cycles. She is currently displaying her trigger symptoms, which are “suspicious thoughts” where she thinks she is in some kind of spy story. Although I thought I’d be able to be strong for her, I’ve found myself very scared and worried.
I am obviously encouraging her to keep the specialist up to date, especially while she is aware of it, in the hope that they can suggest medication etc to stop it ballooning into anything as serious as she has suffered in years gone by.
Just wondered if there was anyone out there with any words of wisdom?
Thanks in advance for your time.
Martin
You may have to forgive my spelling here, but my wife’s medication is Lithium and Olanzapine. The latter has been increased in dose recently, as she is also taking beta-blockers to combat recent migraines.

A: I really feel for you, my husband has bi-polar and we have been married for 17 years.
I found a great book that has helped me to understand the illness a little better, if you can get a copy, it is well worth the read. “Loving Someone with Bi-Polar Disorder” helping & understanding your partner, By Julie A Fast and John D Preston, PSY.D.

Staying on meds and taking at the right time and right dose does not always keep someone with bi-polar stable, it will help flaten out the mood swings but not stop them altogether. If that is the case for your wife, you should both sit down with her doctor and work out a plan of action for when the cycle starts to change.

Q: Are manic depression and Bipolar disorder really the same thing?
I was diagnosed with Manic Depression about three years ago. I stopped taking the meds after six months because I didn’t like what they do to me.

I have been having difficulty with my MD a lot lately–it’s been worse. Mood swings for no causes whatsoever. I was googling some alternatives to prescribed medication for Manic Depression and everything that came up was Bipolar disorder.

I knew that the two were similar–but are they really the same thing?

A: Yes, they are two names for the same disorder. Manic Depression is the old name for what is now called Bipolar Disorder. Professionals chose to discard the name “Manic Depression” or “Manic-Depressive Disorder” in favor of Bipolar Disorder because it is more accurate. Not all forms of bipolar cause manic episodes – bipolar II does not have manic features, but instead the patient suffers from “hypomanic” or “sub-manic” episodes. Cyclothymia also has these hypomanic features, as well as less profound depressive episodes. Because of the different varieties of the disorder, the name “Manic Depression” was misleading and inaccurate, so it was changed to Bipolar Disorder.

Hope that helps clear things up!

Q: What percent of people diagnosed with bipolar disorder/manic depression are girls?
I’m asking specifically about the diagnosis, not the percent of people estimated to have that…. Yes, there’s a reason for that. E-mail me if it’s bothering you, I don’t mind explaining it.

A: It is about 50%
Boys and girls are equally affected.

Q: What is the difference between borderlne personality disorder and bipolar disorder (manic depression)?
The two conditions are supposed to be separate, but if you look at a basic oversight of them (i.e. Wikipedia or similar) they seem extremely similar. I was just wondering if anybody with any knowledge about these matters would be able to point out what the differences are between these two conditions.
Thanks in advance for any answers.
Whoops, I obviously slightly mis-spelt ‘borderline’ in the title there.

A: Bipolar, or manic depression, is a disorder of mood. The person has mood swings which can be sudden and very forceful. Their behaviour can become quite out of control when they are ‘high’ because they are elated and thinking very fast. They can suffer extremely severe depressive bouts.
Borderline personality disorder is quite different, although the person may present initially with depression. It is a developmental disorder where the person typically has a poor sense of themselves and their behaviour in relation to other people. They find it difficult to form and sustain relationships because they find it hard to compromise and often have a poor anger management skills. They tend to blame other people for their problems and find it difficult to accept that their own behaviour affects outcomes. So they are often volatile in mood which is where the confusion occurs, but they do not have mood disorder.
Hope that helps.

Q: How can you tell the difference between hormone imbalance and bi-polar disorder (manic depression)?
I have a relative who is bi-polar, but how can you really tell the difference between that and a hormone imbalance? I was reading stuff about them online and they seemed similar.
Okay, no, not really! I am not quite that addicted to y!a. LOL –I had a clone and was trying to trip her up by adding things to my name.
it’s not official, but wouldn’t that be cool?

A: A blood test can indicate if there is a hormone imbalance.

Q: Bipolar Manic Depression Disorder ?
I was just told that i have Bipolar Manic Depression Disorder (BPMDD) and i am worried because i feel as if i am broken. I am worried because I don’t know anyone else my age who has it.

A: I’m 24. I have it.

Q: What is the best way to help someone with Bi-Polar Disorder/Manic Depression?
When the local community support team has been disbanded through lack of funds and the family are left to cope on their own?

A: I have been around many bipolar people in my life. My foster daughter is just one of them. The best thing to do for them is to chart EVERYTHING. Keep record of when moods go up and down. This is the most valuable tool for a doctor to have to help.

For a support team, there is a great Web site that may help. The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance www.dbsalliance.org

Good luck. And remember…..you aren’t alone. There are people out there dealing with the exact same thing that you are. Stay strong. people with Bipolar Disorder have a chemical imbalance, they aren’t doing the things they do on purpose. (I have to remind myself sometimes!)

Q: How can I get diagnosed for Bipolar Disorder/manic depression?
How can I get the medication if I’m under 18 and don’t want my parents to know.

I don’t plan on abusing the drugs. I just need something to help with my mood swings and other symptoms

A: If you have enough money to pay for it yourself you can go see any psychiatrist yourself (initial appointment costs about $300)….. The drugs for Bipolar are not tyopically abused because most of them do not get you high……

Everyone has all the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder……. because everyone has mood swings, momentary loss of judgment, likes to go shopping, likes sex, feels down sometimes, gets angry now and then and is hyper on occasion. The difference is that all of these symptoms in Bipolar are so intense that they interfere with your ability to function. Think of a pole (biPOLEr) with 0 at the center (0 being normal) and 10 at one end (manic) and -10 at the other (deep depression). Most people have swings but stay within 3 to -3. I have fairly severe Bipolar 1 but since my psychosis is mild I go from -9 to 9…. Also depression that comes and goes is not bipolar but just recurring depression, you have to have mania for it to be Bipolar….. you have to go to both ends of the pole.

Rapidly changing moods or becoming angry or sad easily is not Bipolar. That is just having emotions. People with Bipolar Disorder do not change emotions quickly, they go through long periods of deep depression followed by long periods of mania or elevated mood, long periods meaning weeks or months or years. Mood effects everything about you…. your energy level, self esteem, sleep patterns, appetite, sexuality, emotional response, etc…..

This is what it is like to have Bipolar disorder:

Depression – too tired to get out of bed, shower, even to brush my teeth. Cry all the time, sleep 16 hours a day. Feelings of self loathing and guilt that drive me to think of suicide but I’m to tired to even think about how to go about killing myself. It makes you feel small and worthless and completely insignificant. It makes you think about how big the world is and how meaningless you are in it….. and it refuses to let you have any good thoughts or see any good things…. when you look in the mirror all you see is pain, you don’t even see yourself, you don’t taste your favorite foods anymore, see that flowers are blooming, whether or not the sun is out, you become so inward that you hardly even notice your surroundings….. You don’t even feel love for people anymore…. positive thoughts are just not possible…… it is a deep dark hole with no way out and no light for hope…. and most of all it makes you feel sooooo alone. And even if there were someone who cared about you they would be better off if you killed yourself……. because all you will ever be is a burden……. this can last from a couple of weeks to a couple of years.

Mania – Way too happy! PARTY GIRL! love drink and drugs. Talk really fast and pressured because my thoughts are going faster than my mouth can keep up with. Hypersexual – like I sleep with strangers and guys I just met on the internet or I masturbate 10 times a day. I once became bisexual because there were twice as many people to sleep with. down load porn and spend tons of money on sex toys. Spending sprees….. I once spent my mortgage money on african violets, yep, $1500 on African violets (then I got depressed and let them all die). Quit my job because I wanted my vacation pay for lottery tickets and I was so convinced I would win that I started shopping and writing bad checks because I’d be rich as soon as the numbers were drawn. Decided that I could replace the furnace in my home by myself… I mean how hard can it be….. Only sleep 2 or maybe 3 hours a night for months on end and never feel tired. In the end I was unemployed, $30,000 in debt, and had almost lost my home, which needed a new furnace because I had removed the old one.. or parts of it anyway. This can last for months.

I also have mixed states when I am depressed and manic at the same time which are truly the worst… By body and mind are depressed but there is this undercurrent of energy running all the time….. I’m highly emotional but the emotions tend to be negative (guilt and anger) I have intrusive thoughts and urges to mutilate myself (like wanting to stick my hands in the garbage disposal or cooking them on the BBQ), and I also have psychotic episodes where I hallucinate. This is when I am most suseptible to suicide because I am depressed, wanting to hurt myself, and I have the mental energy to plan and carry it out.

When I am on meds I am a normal 45 year old single mom of 3 and no one would even guess that

Q: Are bipolar disorder and manic depression the same thing?
Can some explain what manic depression actually means?

A: yes they are the same disorders just with and “updated” name. manic depression/bipolar is basically when you have periods of hyperness (mania) and periods of depression. sometimes this periods can last hours days or months depending on the type of bipolar.

Q: Manic depression or bipolar disorder?
Whats the difference between manic depression and bipolar disorder? I’ve done the research on both disorders and I seem to be suffering from both. What is the best medication to help bipolar disorder and manic depression? This is taking over my life and I need a good medication to help me.

A: manic depression is also known as bipolar, here is a site on depression and antidepressant as well, hope it helps:

Q: Is it possible that ADHD could actually be Manic Depression Disorder?
My boyfriend of 5 years has been on medication since he was 14. He started out on Ritalin, because his school said he had ADHD. I have also had alot of experience with medication in my own life, and always lived with and known people with OCD, Manic Depression, MPD, etc… Currently he is on Zyprexa, Paxil and Adderal. Paxil, as we all know is for SAD, which I also have, but am on a different medication for. I have had a lot of time to, well, self diagnose him, and I believe he is Manic Depressive with some OCD tendencies. I feel his ADHD was imporperly diagnosed, because schools say everyone has it. His ups and downs are consitent with MD, like one minute he will be up and excited, and the next, staring off into space, and become depressed. I have never thought he was on the right combo of meds, but of course his doctors disagree, and I think its just because he has been on those meds for so long and they are afraid to change them. Any opinions on ADHD vs. MD?
Also, he is 24 now. His Zyprexa makes him lazy and moody, while the Adderall is sposed to bring him up. Now the Adderall is a form of speed, in prescription form. I hate the way it makes him, because once he needs more, he becomes rude and beligerant. I know all about with drawls, I myself have battled with drugs, and overcome. Anyhow, the Zyprexa he is on, sposedly for blood pressure to control his temper. However, once he takes it, he gets extremely lathargic. I know drowsiness is a side effect, but I dont feel he needs to be on this medication. I think the combo of all the meds hes on are contradicting eachother completely. I am looking for a professional opinion, and someone to maybe explain things to a little further to get the best answer.
Also, he is 24 now. His Zyprexa makes him lazy and moody, while the Adderall is sposed to bring him up. Now the Adderall is a form of speed, in prescription form. I hate the way it makes him, because once he needs more, he becomes rude and beligerant. I know all about with drawls, I myself have battled with drugs, and overcome. Anyhow, the Zyprexa he is on, sposedly for blood pressure to control his temper. However, once he takes it, he gets extremely lathargic. I know drowsiness is a side effect, but I dont feel he needs to be on this medication. I think the combo of all the meds hes on are contradicting eachother completely. I am looking for a professional opinion, and someone to maybe explain things to a little further to get the best answer. I know that ADHD causes moods to go from one to another, but like I mentioned, its not like hell be all jumping around and then crash, its the same as my mom gets, and she is also a MD.

A: I was misdiagnosed at about the same age he was with ADHD. I am currently 24 years old, and wasn’t correctly diagnosed as a bi-polar manic depressive until I was 18. It is a definite possibility that he has been misidagnosed, and my doctor says that it happens frequently in teenagers because most parents think the mood swings are just part of normal teenage angst. My parents refused to let doctors put me on meds while I was a kid, so I was a hell raiser, that’s for sure. I was always in trouble at school, and I think just about all of my teachers were ready to kill me by the time summer came around. When I hit 18 and finally got a doctor that diagnosed me with bi-polar instead of ADHD, he started trying me on different meds until he found a good combination for me at that time. After a while they didn’t work anymore, and they made me feel like a zombie so I quit taking them. It could be that that’s what’s going on with his current meds. They just aren’t working for him the right way anymore, and he may need to ask his doc for a change. Either way, he really needs to talk to his doc about all of this and see what he/she has to say about it. If you don’t think he would be upset, ask him if you could go to the doctor with him so that you can express your concerns as well. An extra opinion from someone who spends so much time with him could never hurt. Good luck.

Q: what is the difference between bipolar disorder and manic depression?
also, are there reliable tests to test you on both?

A: No difference they are the same thing.

Q: Which medications are most commonly prescribed these days for bi polar disorder or manic depression?
and which strengths are usually given first time?

how is this adjusted and how does it make the person feel and think differantly?

do many people not like taking their medication?

why is this?

please explain and legal consequences if they dont.
also, a further question, if anyone knows, is how do these medications affect your ability to feel or get angry?,( for people who have anger issues.)

please explain.

A: I take a medication that is an anti convulsant … basically when used for psychological reasons, it is for people who are MOSTLY BIPOLAR. SOMETIMES they are used for people with treatment resistant depression.

I take lamictal, for example. They haven’t determined whether I have bipolar, but if I do it would be type II. They think if it is not bipolar, which I do not think it is, it is treatment resistant depression.

Basically, these meds are mood stabilizers… they help people feel more in the middle instead of feeling too high and happy and risky or too low and suicidal.

I don’t know if many people do not like taking their medication. I don’t know of many people who LIKE to take pills.. no one really wants to have to be on medication, but people who want to get better realize they need to at least give it a try.

Sometimes people will not take these medications because of the side effects such as hairloss or weight gain, liver toxicity, etc.

I take lamictal, which has given me no side effects and frequently does not give any side effects.

I suppose these medications would help people who have anger issues or have problems controlling their moods… since it helps stabilize your mood more.

I don’t think it makes the person THINK differently, only you can change your thinking, and only therapy can help that. Medications like this can only help you CONTROL your moods better, help you from going too low and crying all the time and feeling suicidal.. etc

Q: whats the best way to deal with having bipolar disorder / manic depression ?
i have recently been told i suffer from bipolar disorder is there any tips people can give me on how to handle it im a bit scared .
becase i was resently diagnosed and also suffer from anorexia nervosa it makes it slightly harder

A: Ok try This

I have come up with seven ways to assist you in helping to eliminate or reduce your depression.

1) Eat properly : This means, most of all, remember TO eat! With depression, it seems that you either don’t want to eat at all or you gorge yourself constantly! The main thing that is important is that you eat healthy nutrients for your body in order for it to help to get back into balance. If you have trouble eating large meals then eat small meals divided up during the day. Remember to eat green vegetables, chicken, fish etc. You need your protein and especially your vitamin B which helps with stress. You can also take a supplement if your doctor doesn’t contraindicate it.

2) Get enough sleep: Again, with depression, usually the norm is that you either sleep too little or too much. What we are looking for here is a happy medium! Both too little and too much sleep can make you feel even more depressed! If you aren’t tired or you have repetitive thoughts running around in your head, try to read prior to going to bed, watch TV, exercise before bed so that you are tired. Take a hot bath, have your husband or partner give you a massage, use relaxation techniques. Try anything. Remember, don’t lie awake in bed if you can’t sleep. Get up and do something and then try lying down again. That way you only associate bed with sleep.

3) Get outside: Why? because that puts you back in the world of the living! It is especially helpful for me to go out to the woods and take in all of the scenery with all of the sights and sounds. There is something about hearing birds chirping that helps. Sunshine helps depression so get out in the sun and let it do it’s work! Breathe in the fresh air. Even if you have no desire to get off of your sofa or out of your bed, believe me, I have been there and I understand, trust me, you absolutely need to get outside! Go do an errand that needs to be done, even if it is just a small one. You CAN do it if you try!

4) Exercise: Ok, I KNOW that you have heard this one! I used to think “yeah, right! I can’t even get the strength to stand up from my chair but you want me to exercise?!!” I hear you loud and clear, but before you completely disregard it, let me inform you that exercise releases endorphins that naturally reduce depression so that it scientifically does help you! When I say exercise, I don’t mean that you have to start an aerobics class or anything that intense!! I am talking about just walking around the block to start with..or as far as you can tolerate the first time. Try to increase your endurance and distance every time you walk. You can also try the Wii fitness, if you have it. It can be quite helpful because it offers Yoga as an exercise, which I happen to use. The main point is get your body moving! It may be painful at first..but you definitely will see a difference in the end.

5) Use Relaxation Techniques: If you have not learned how to relax or any easy relaxation techniques, there are many videos out there that will walk you through a full body relaxation and it is something that you can also do for yourself. One example of this is to start at the top of your body, ( your head) tense by the count of three and relax by the count of three, and continue this with every muscle of your body down to your toes until you feel physically relaxed.
Relaxation also applies to whatever it is you do that is your passion. You may not be “feeling” it right now, but attempt to try it. Going through the motions can sometimes be helpful. Write in a journal, paint, go fishing, listen to music, dance…whatever it is to you that can give you peace of mind, even for a moment. Go to your “place of peace” or an imaginary place that you feel safe, secure and free of stress. Basically, it means try to imagine yourself in a place where you feel the most comfortable and safe. Imagine it and memorize it to the fullest detail. This will be helpful for you when you get stressed out. You can mentally take yourself back to that place quickly with practice!

6) Pet a pet: Sound simple? Well, it is! Research has shown that people who have pets are less stressed. Think about how relaxing it is to pet a cat or dog. They love you unconditionally and only want to please you. What more could you want? More and more hospitals, nursing homes, etc. are allowing “pet therapy” for their residents because they realize it’s value. Try it for yourself. You will be glad you did!

7) Act “As if..”: Most people who are in any type of recovery program knows only too well what this saying means! To explain it.. it means even if you are feeling completely depressed, try as hard as you can to act “as if” you aren’t depressed. Go through the motions of your daily life. It is important to keep up your routine. Depressed people tend to get out of their normal routine and find it difficult to resume it sometimes. This does not mean that you will automatically feel completely wonderful and not depresse

Q: Manic Depression ..?
The psychology instructor had just finished a lecture on mental health and was giving an oral test.

Speaking specifically about manic depression, she asked, “How would you diagnose a patient who walks back and forth screaming at the top of his lungs one minute, then sits in a chair weeping uncontrollably the next minute?”

A young man in the back row raised his hand and answered confidently, “A basketball coach!”

A: EXACTLY!!!! They really be doing that stuff too!

Q: manic depression?
heres the thing my dad and my mum’s sister both have bipolar and i am my dads only daughter but not my mums… but i have frequent episodes like my dads and i know you cant see the tell tale signs till in the teens but i am in my teens now and i am worries that i could have it… when i was little i remember tell tale signs of being on a ‘high’ and a ‘low’ and i sometimes get like that like snappy and depressed one minute i then go to my room and the next minute im fine and happy and cheery i also took a t test in the internet and it said i am most likely to have bipolar….answers would be very useful and happy new year all x

A: I can see that you are worried about having manic depression but I don’t think what you describe is manic depression. Manic Depression is more longer term mood swings. If you do have it it is not the end of the world and the treatment is very good nowadays. Some people even enjoy having it. Any way, please go to a doctor to discuss your fears, and he will probably reassure you.

Q: What should i do if my wife has manic depression?
My wife and I have been married for 8 yrs now with 3 children. I believe my wife has manic depression.
The problem is she is in denial and will not go for the necessary tests or diagnosing. This is very difficult at home to say the least. Constant verbal and physical abuse for about 5yrs now, towards myself and the kids.
Our oldest child is 6 and youngest 2.
I feel my job as a husband should be to support my wife but I always get hurt in the process. I take my marriage vows very seriously and am a born again christian, but am actually contemplating divorce.

Plz help me what should I do?

PS. Her mother believes she has it and her father had been hospitalised for 1-2 yrs for manic depression and is now on the maximum dossage you can give to someone before hospitalisation.

A: You can only confront her about it, but unless she is a physical danger to herself or others, it would be morally wrong to force treatment on her. Instead of playing psychiatrist and telling her she’s bipolar as that is something no one wants to hear since that means medication (and psych meds are hell), ask her if she’ll go to marriage counselling with you. It can help a little bit, at least with the verbal abuse. Just because she has violent mood swings doesn’t mean that she should be constantly abusive. She might want to try counselling herself. The medications are hell and personally, unless her bipolar is very severe or she wants to try them, I don’t think it’s worth the side effects.

Q: Can i just ask him for a Bipolar test?
Hi. I am 21 and live in Glasgow. My GP treats me for depression with Citalopram. But i have been experincing what i believe to be manic symptoms and my Mum wants me to get tested for Manic Depression. I have an appointment Friday morning. Can i just ask him for a Bipolar test?

A: There is no ‘test’ for Bipolar. Through extensive interviewing the GP may refer you to Mental health services who again will interview you further. based on these interviews an initial diagnosis may be made.

Q: what is the difference between bipolar disorder and manic depression?
also, are there reliable tests to test you on both?

A: No difference they are the same thing.

Q: To those with bipolar or manic depression!?
When you were diagnosed with manic depression or bipolar, what was the test like did u just talk to the phycologist, did u take a physical test like a blood test, or a written test? What happened? Please help! Thanx!

A: I was originally diagnosed with severe depression and started on Paxil. The Paxil did a real good job of yanking me out of depression but unfortunately it uncovered a predisposition to Bipolar by shooting me into a manic state.
I was classic bipolar by the time they correctly diagnosed me.

They take a history of how you reacted in the past and look for signs of the classic symptoms of bipolar.

They did run NUMEROUS blood tests on me. I was subjected to a very thorough psychological exam and IQ test. I seem to remember an EKG also. By the time they were finished they KNEW what made me tick…

Q: I just took a online test about my depression(continued) please help?
I’m 16, there’s been a long series of events ever since I was young to indicate I’ve got some issues to resolve. I’ve finally stopped lying to myself and come to face those issues and I’ve realised I’m not a happy person, I’m fine with that but thoughts of suicide have already begun to enter my head and I’m so fearful something drastic might happen in my life later on. I just took tests on www.healthcenter.com, seemed like a credible medical webpage, the tests say I suffer from Social Anxiety Disorder, ADHD or ADD, and manic depression. I kind of figured I suffered from social anxiety but never the rest, I’ve already spoken to my mom about going to a psychologist and talking to somebody. I’m right at the edge of losing it I;m losingit. After taking the tests I felt kind of relieved that what I felt everyday wasn’t really who I am, just some sick psychology that I’ve allowed to develop inside of me. I am ready for change, I know I need it like hell right now. I’m going to university and I need a fresh start there. I’d love if somebody gave me tips please

Thank you

A: Hey hun.
Firstly, don’t put too much stock in online testing for things like ADD and manic depression. People with major depression can often exhibit many of the symptoms of ADD, as they tend to mimic each other.
Manic depression in pretty much impossible to diagnose on the internet because without specialized knowledge of the disorder your symptoms can sound very much like manic depression, but it is quite likely that you have major depressive disorder. These things need very thorough and face to face diagnosis testing.
Social anxiety is also a very typical co-morbidity that goes along with major depression, so once you are treated for depression, the other should start to get easier too No matter what it is though, a good psychologist will be able to identify it and help you get better.
I’m really glad you are taking steps to get some help and going to chat to a psychologist. Things may look really bad right now, especially if you have been feeling bad for a long time, but i promise things can get better. Once you’ve talked to a psychologist talked over some pathways for treatment, things will start to look much better.
Depression is really awful to go through and can get really really tough, but you will come out a stronger, wiser, and more empathetic person at the other end.
Never lose hope and don’t ever be too hard on yourself. Just take one step at a time and you’ll get through
1st step is to visit your GP and you can be referred from there.
- katie x

Q: How to ask your mom if you can be tested for depression?
i’ve had increasing suicide thoughts for about the last year. when she found out i was cutting she went crazy i don’t blame her. i need help and i can’t talk to her or any of my friends. everyone tells me that i should see a doctor and i could qualify for manic depression. how can i ask my mom to let me see a doctor to see if i do qualify or what i can do please help

A: u can use ur mouth….but ur mom should be for u to see an doc, so im sure she will encourage it, u have a right to see attention for needs.

Q: What would a therapist do to find out wheather you are bipolar or not? Do they like do a physical test or what
My cousler thinks that i might have manic depression also know as bipolar. She recommended a therapist, so i wanted to know how a therapist would find out. Do they just ask you questions or do they do a test. What happens and how do they find out? thanx for all answers.
by the way im a girl 13 years old, thanx for the answers.

A: A psychiatrist is the right doctor to go to first – not a therapist.

Questions are asked. You discuss your feelings and moods. The psychiatrist is best qualified to make a proper assessment and diagnosis.

In addition, the psychiatrist is the doc you want to help you with this disorder. A therapist can come later, if necessary.

Q: What Is Bipolar disorder (Manic depression)?
My doctor wants to do some tests to determine weather or not, I have Bipolar disorder.
She gave me a pamphlet but its not very informative, just states the facts that I feel depressed alot and have for most of my life and I have mood changes which is true.
But not what it is caused by, how it can be treated and so on.

Any info would be great.

Thanks
Prince!

I agree with your answer.
Although I wasn’t coming to conclusions.

A: People confuse mood with emotion….. mood affects everything about you. Your energy level, sleep patterns, appetite, emotional response (which emotions you feel and how strongly), your judgment, sexual appetite, etc……. Bipolar is not about being happy one minute then sad the next then mad, that is just having emotions….. The mood swings in Bipolar last a very long time, weeks to months to years and the average Bipolar only swings once or twice a year.

People never never understand the true severity of bipolar disorder. They also do not understand that for an “episode” to be considered Bipolar it has to last all day every day for a week……. That’s the minimum, in reality the episodes last for weeks or months or even years. There are cases where a person can have more than one or two episodes a year but it is really rare. Also you HAVE TO HAVE the mania (or hypomania) for it to be bipolar. Without mania it is just recurring depression.

The mood swings in Bipolar do not usually have a trigger. They come and go very randomly…… If someone with Bipolar is depressed or manic there is nothing you can do to bring them out of their mood short of medication…..

This is what Bipolar is like for me.

Depression- to tired to get out of bed, shower, brush your teeth….. lie in bed and stare at the ceiling for days at a time, crying a lot, feelings of guilt, and self loathing, may be suicidal but are too tired to even consider planning it, sleep 16 hours a day or more, eating too much or not enough.

Manic – over the moon happy, hypersexual (like masturbating 10 times a day or sleeping with numerous men, strangers, your cousin…….decide you are bi because then there are twice as many people to have sex with, decide you are into BDSM and contract to be someones slave for a week), spending your mortgage money on african violets (or some other useless things), driving your car 120 mph, grandiose thoughts (like thinking you can put a new furnace in your house by yourself, or tearing the sideing of the house because youcan put ip new stuff by yourself with a hammer and a hacksaw), quitting your job because you are buying lottery tickets with your last paycheck and you know you will win…… only sleep 2 or 3 hours a night and feel completely rested, can’t concentrate, racing thoughts (it sounds like 50 people in your head all talking at the same time), talk really fast and loud because your mouth can’t keep up with our mind.

Q: Is there a test for Schizophrenia?
I was just wondering. I have a grandmother with Schizophrenia, & my mom & brother have been diagnosed with Bipolar or manic depression, I’m not exactly sure which one. I have OCD & I’m a little scared that some of this stuff may happen to me, is there anyway of doing a test, brainscan or something to see if I’m going to get this kind of stuff or not. Serious answers please, I watched a show on Schizophrenia last night & now I’m a little freaked out.

A: Dont be scared because schizophrenia, as tough as it is to live with, responds well to medication. As of now, there is no test for schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is diagnosed by its symptoms and the severity of them. But just because a family member has schizophrenia doesnt mean the rest of the family will develop it down the road. So, just concentrate on your set of problems OCD is giving you and how to grow beyond them. Good Luck.

Q: Can i get a check for social anxiety and or manic depression?
Ok I have a simple question so lets try & keep it that way and stay within subject of the question, I don’t wanna hear about the cures and or treatments or what i can do to treat whats wrong with me, Cause ive heard it all before, Trust me i have so please don’t. Now what I want to know is exactly what the subject says, can i or can’t i get a check for social anxiety and or manic depression? I am also slow, I was In LD classes all through out schoo from 3rd grade till 12th. This also has a huge effect on me being able to get a job and keep it, for one math tests that i can’t pass, secondly getting the possition canceled because you don’t catch on as quick as everyone else, or you’re too slow. It’s happened, BS it is but it does happen. Also how would i go about it and what would i say when i call a doctor, ” I think i have social anxiety i need checked out for it” ??

Once again, please stay within subject of the question keeping it simple, and if you wanna tell me about treatments and cures and what i can do to overcome this, take it somewhere else, not here cause it starts getting annoying after while when you’ve heard it so much. Also I’m not interested in any links you wanna post telling about depression and or social anxiety, So don’t post them.
I have been diagnosed with manic depression and i was put on meds for it, The social anxiety has not been diagnosed yet.

A: This sad, hopeless feeling just can’t go on. It’s affecting your job, your life. It seems like depression. But could it be something more?

Many people with depression also experience some degree of anxiety – anxiety that goes beyond the typical tension we experience when we face life’s challenges. For people with an anxiety disorder, the overwhelming worry and fear is constant – with obsessive thoughts, feelings of panic, trouble sleeping, heart palpitations, cold or sweaty hands.

http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/is-really-depression

Q: Oral test about psychology ?
The psychology instructor had just finished a lecture on mental health and was giving an oral test.

Speaking specifically about ‘manic depression’, she asked, ” How would you diagnose a patient who walks back and forth screaming at the top of his lungs one minute, then sits in a chair weeping uncontrollably the next?”

A young man in the rear raised his hand and answered,
” A basketball coach?”

Like it ? Then star it! Thanks.

A: Nice joke , thanks )

Q: How does someone get tested for emotional disorders?
If you think a friend has depression, possibly manic depression how could they get tested?

A: There are psychiatrists who will evaluate patients. That’s how I figured out I have anxiety/mild depression. I went because I thought I might have anxiety and they’ll talk to you for a while, have you fill out a few forms, and then diagnose you and give you a recommended treatment.

Q: can you PROVE a diagnosis of mania or bipolar disorder?
Is there a chemical or hormonal test a doctor can give you to prove these disorders? OR do they just ask you questions about your mood swings and hand you the anti-depression/psychotics/anxiety prescription?

Has anyone out there been diagnosed with bipolar disorder or manic depression and calmed their symptoms with natural ways like exercise, healthy living, meditation, positive thinking/reading concentration? If so how and what would you suggest as an alternative to pill popping super meds for the rest of your life?

A: There is no chemical or hormonal marker in the blood that gives a “gold star” diagnosis for bipolar disorder. Bipolar is generally diagnosed after a thorough psychological evaluation by a psychologist or psychiatrist who evaluates the symptoms of the patient to see if they fit the symptomology of bipolar disorder.

Manic episodes are usually the easiest way to diagnose bipolar I disorder, because it is very difficult to confuse a manic episode with anything other than bipolar mania. Bipolar II is much more difficult to diagnose because people with bipolar II may spend as much as 90% of their mood swing periods in the depressed state, and their hypomanic symptoms may be difficult to pinpoint because they are often just viewed by the patient as “a really good mood” and not seen as problematic. Cyclothymia is also difficult to diagnose because of the absence of both mania and major depressive symptoms. Bipolar NOS can end up being a catch-all for patients who exhibit symptoms that are bipolar in nature, but do not fit the criteria for bipolar I, II, or cyclothymia.

There is some evidence that the brains of people with bipolar disorder are structurally different in some areas than the brains of “normal” non-affected individuals, and a PET (positron emission tomography) scan can detect these abnormalities in the brain. PET scans are very expensive though and rarely used in the diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

Blood tests may be given to an individual who presents with bipolar like symptoms, to rule out other physical causes for the mood swings (such as thyroid, prolactin, or other hormone imbalances). But like I said before, there is no marker in the blood for bipolar; a blood test would only be given to rule out other conditions that may mimic the symptoms.

Bipolar disorder is not like unipolar depression (AKA major depressive disorder, or clinical depression) because it is extremely biological in nature, much more so than unipolar depression (which also has a biological component, but not as strong of a link). The majority of people with bipolar disorder, especially bipolar I, need maintenance medication for the rest of their lives to control their mood swings and allow them to live a normal, productive life.

Using natural methods like exercise, good nutrition, meditation, therapy, etc. can help improve the quality of a patient’s life, but they do not replace mood stabilizing drugs as a front-line treatment for bipolar disorder, and have not been proven to be any more effective than placebo in controlling depressive and manic episodes. While nobody enjoys the idea of having to be on mood stabilizing medication for the rest of their life, the alternative – living with untreated bipolar disorder – is usually a much worse situation to be in.

I hope that helps. Good luck!

Q: What are the symptoms of manic depression?
Well I have heard about this thing called manic depression or bipolar syndrome. I think I might have it can sombody explain the symptoms to me please? Thank you

A: In order to have bipolar disorder, you must have had at least one episode of mania and one episode of depression (one episode of mania is enough to diagnose it, but without depression, it’s unipolar mania). A manic episode lasts at least four days, and a depressive episode lasts at least two weeks. There are often periods of normality between the episodes, although it is possible – if rarer – to switch almost immediately between the two extremes. Episodes of both kinds can last weeks or even months. It is possible to have ultradian cycling bipolar disorder, where moods change within a day or even within a few hours, but this is extremely rare, and mood swings of that kind of duration are usually caused by another illness, such as Borderline Personality Disorder.

Symptoms of mania are:
- Euphoria and/or irritation
- Increased energy levels
- Decreased need for sleep
- Lowered inhibitions
- Racing thoughts
- Racing speech
- Reckless and uncharacteristic behaviour (spending all your money on things you don’t need, having sex with strangers, putting yourself in dangerous situations without even noticing they’re dangerous)
- Starting many different projects (and often failing to finish them)

Symptoms of depression are:
- Unhappiness
- Disturbance of sleep and eating
- Lethargy
- Low self-esteem (usually self-hatred)
- Feelings of guilt
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Isolation
- Suicidal thoughts

Episodes of mania and depression can both include psychosis (delusions and/or hallucinations), but mania and depression can and often do occur without the presence of psychosis.

In order to diagnose bipolar disorder, the symptoms of mania and depression have to cause significant impairment to your day-to-day life.

Q: What are the symptoms of Manic Depression?
If you think you had it would you consider going to the doctors?

A: Depression is one of the most common health conditions in the world. Depression isn’t a weakness, nor is it something that you can simply “snap out of.” Depression, formally called major depression, major depressive disorder or clinical depression, is a medical illness that involves the mind and body. It affects how you think and behave and can cause a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may not be able to go about your usual daily activities, and depression may make you feel as if life just isn’t worth living anymore.
Most health professionals today consider depression a chronic illness that requires long-term treatment, much like diabetes or high blood pressure. Although some people experience only one episode of depression, most have repeated episodes of depression symptoms throughout their life.
Effective diagnosis and treatment can help reduce even severe depression symptoms. And with effective treatment, most people with depression feel better, often within weeks, and can return to the daily activities they previously enjoyed.
Symptoms
Symptoms of depression include:
Loss of interest in normal daily activities
Feeling sad or down
Feeling hopeless
Crying spells for no apparent reason
Problems sleeping
Trouble focusing or concentrating

Q: When do people typically start to show symptoms of Manic Depression?
Teenage years? 20-somethings? Childhood? Just wondering.

A: Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness typically develops in late adolescence or early adulthood. However, some people have their first symptoms during childhood, and some develop them late in life.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/bipolar.cfm#intro

My parents said they started to notice the signs and symptoms in me since I was a teenager, but I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 21.

Q: is one of the symptoms of manic depression being easily amused by things?
along with other things, obviously.
I slept about 3 hours last night and I’m in a tremendously good mood.
could the fact that things are making me laugh be a related symptom of an early manic phase?
thanks, I am bi-polar. But I also have a low sense of humor, I just wondered if the two were related lol.

A: Wow we are all mental, aren’t we?
OCD
ADD
THC
OPP… no, wait. Not that.
Won’t go get checked for bi-poar or anxiety. Already know the answer, don’t want the pills. (Former abused substance.) Now what?

Q: is it possible for prozac to cause symptoms of manic depression?
also do you have any personal experiences of bi polar and what you feel?
thank you

A: yes. If someone suffers from bi-polar disorder and they take antidepressants alone without a mood stabiliser or anti psychotic then it can cause the person to suffer from a manic episode. Sorry i don’t have personal experience of this.

Q: what are some symptoms of manic depression?
and what can you do for manic depression

A: Lifestyle changes can help… diet, exercise, meditation… but the only thing that really controls Manic Depression (Bipolar Disorder) is medication.

Everyone has all the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder……. because everyone has mood swings, momentary loss of judgment, likes to go shopping, likes sex, feels down sometimes, gets angry now and then and is hyper on occasion. The difference is that all of these symptoms in Bipolar are so intense that they interfere with your ability to function. Think of a pole (biPOLEr) with 0 at the center (0 being normal) and 10 at one end (manic) and -10 at the other (deep depression). Most people have swings but stay within 3 to -3. I have fairly severe Bipolar 1 but since my psychosis is mild I go from -9 to 9…. Also depression that comes and goes is not bipolar but just recurring depression, you have to have mania for it to be Bipolar….. you have to go to both ends of the pole.

Rapidly changing moods or becoming angry or sad easily is not Bipolar. That is just having emotions. People with Bipolar Disorder do not change emotions quickly, they go through long periods of deep depression followed by long periods of mania or elevated mood, long periods meaning weeks or months or years. Mood effects everything about you…. your energy level, self esteem, sleep patterns, appetite, sexuality, emotional response, etc…..

This is what it is like to have Bipolar disorder:

Depression – too tired to get out of bed, shower, even to brush my teeth. Cry all the time, sleep 16 hours a day. Feelings of self loathing and guilt that drive me to think of suicide but I’m to tired to even think about how to go about killing myself. It makes you feel small and worthless and completely insignificant. It makes you think about how big the world is and how meaningless you are in it….. and it refuses to let you have any good thoughts or see any good things…. when you look in the mirror all you see is pain, you don’t even see yourself, you don’t taste your favorite foods anymore, see that flowers are blooming, whether or not the sun is out, you become so inward that you hardly even notice your surroundings….. You don’t even feel love for people anymore…. positive thoughts are just not possible…… it is a deep dark hole with no way out and no light for hope…. and most of all it makes you feel sooooo alone. And even if there were someone who cared about you they would be better off if you killed yourself……. because all you will ever be is a burden……. this can last from a couple of weeks to a couple of years.

Mania – Way too happy! PARTY GIRL! love drink and drugs. Talk really fast and pressured because my thoughts are going faster than my mouth can keep up with. Hypersexual – like I sleep with strangers and guys I just met on the internet or I masturbate 10 times a day. I once became bisexual because there were twice as many people to sleep with. down load porn and spend tons of money on sex toys. Spending sprees….. I once spent my mortgage money on african violets, yep, $1500 on African violets (then I got depressed and let them all die). Quit my job because I wanted my vacation pay for lottery tickets and I was so convinced I would win that I started shopping and writing bad checks because I’d be rich as soon as the numbers were drawn. Decided that I could replace the furnace in my home by myself… I mean how hard can it be….. Only sleep 2 or maybe 3 hours a night for months on end and never feel tired. In the end I was unemployed, $30,000 in debt, and had almost lost my home, which needed a new furnace because I had removed the old one.. or parts of it anyway. This can last for months.

I also have mixed states when I am depressed and manic at the same time which are truly the worst… By body and mind are depressed but there is this undercurrent of energy running all the time….. I’m highly emotional but the emotions tend to be negative (guilt and anger) I have intrusive thoughts and urges to mutilate myself (like wanting to stick my hands in the garbage disposal or cooking them on the BBQ), and I also have psychotic episodes where I hallucinate. This is when I am most suseptible to suicide because I am depressed, wanting to hurt myself, and I have the mental energy to plan and carry it out.

When I am on meds I am a normal 45 year old single mom of 3 and no one would even guess that

Q: Can symptoms of manic depression get worse over time?

A: Yes, get to a dr and they will be able to get you medicine to get you better.

Q: Are these manic depression symptoms?PLS HELP?
Racing thoughts, lack of sleep, feeling full of energy?
I suffer from clinical depression and have been on fluoxetine for over 5 months now, About a week or so ago i was experiencing really racing thoughts and i couldn’t slow my mind down which was making it very difficult to concentrate on things. Also i was only getting about 1-2 hours of sleep and not really missing it. I didn’t feel tired. Just energised. I went to my GP in Glasgow about this as my friend who used to be a mental health nurse said that it sounded like Bipolar, so i told my GP about the racing thoughts, lack of sleep, energised and so on and my GP just upped my Prozac to 40mg and told me to come back in 3 weeks.Are these symptoms of Bipolar Disorder?Or maybe some other condition?
And what is the duration of manic episodes. Can they last weeks and weeks?

A: You really need to tell dr. this. Antidepressants can push a bipolar person over the edge into mania. The racing thoughts, lack of sleeping and feeling energized are symptoms of the mania of bipolar. I would go to another dr., one who specializes in mental health issues. The fact that yours ignored your mania symptoms and upped the antidep. is scary.

Yes, the mania can last for a couple weeks. Are you talking on the phone or texting friends lots more than usual? Shopping more? more mania symptoms.

Q: Any differences and similarities in symptoms of Manic Depression and Epilpsy?

A: The treatment for both conditions is very similar, in some ways nearly identical. In both conditions people are primarily treated with anti-seizure medications (“anticonvulsants”). They are standard medications for the treatment of bipolar disorder such as Depakote, Tegretol, lamotrigine and Neurontin. In many cases they act like Lithium, the old standard for bipolar disorder.

In addition, medications that make seizure disorders worse (though only slightly in most cases) can make bipolar disorder worse also (more than slightly in many cases). These include antidepressant medications and antipsychotic medications, because they “lower seizure threshold”; that is, they make it slightly easier for an underlying seizure condition to express itself. And the antidepressants at least are widely recognized to have the potential to make bipolar disorder worse…but not always.

In fact temporal lobe epilepsy and bipolar disorder are indeed very much alike. There is so much overlap between the two conditions, it sure seems like there must be some direct relationship there…e.g. severe TLE, coming from just the right spot in the temporal lobe, could considered by some researchers to effectively “be” bipolar disorder; that is if the experts knew more about exactly how bipolar disorder works, which they don’t.

This is a good article about a study to determine whether the manic episode of patients with epilepsy has different characteristics from manic episode of patients with bipolar disorder. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11554891&dopt=Abstract

This is also some info I found from ADAM (American Accreditation Healthcare Commission)
Bipolar Disorder and Epilepsy.
Neurotransmitters called gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and norepinephrine have been implicated in mania.

GABA helps prevent nerve cells from over-firing.
Norepinephrine is a hormone that involves stress.
Some research has associated similar biologic mechanisms in patients with epilepsy and bipolar disorder. As in epilepsy, the more episodes a bipolar disorder patient experiences early in the course of the disease, the more frequent and severe later episodes will be. Antiseizure agents, in fact, can play an important role in the treatment of bipolar disorder.

Of course the big difference is in how they are classified, since bipolar is considered a psychological disorder and epilepsy a neurological disorder.

Q: What are symptoms of manic depression?
PLZ HELP ME IF U CAN

A: I have Bipolar. It is a tough nut to crack. There are times that you are seriously depressed, some times to the point of being suicidal. Then you are flying high. In the high times you are doing things that are risky, like driving to fast. You are also driven in the area of sexuality. Combine that with the risk taking thing and you have problems. Allot of people use drugs and alcohol to control their symptoms but this only compounds the problems. There is also a thing called Bipolar II which is a milder for of bipolar. Well only in the manic part. The depression can often be worse.

Q: Symptoms of Manic Depression?

A: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_disorder

Q: What are symptoms of depression? Are they similar to manic-depression?

A: I’m a professional counselor and I can tell you that – IN SOME CASES, depression CAN look like bi-polar (manic-depression)…but ONLY when the bi-polar is a type that is mostly depressive. You cannot have a diagnosis of bi-polar without a manic stage at some point. Here are some symptoms of depression (in adults – if you want to know about kids, e-mail me): feeling sad and down most of the day more days than not over at least a 2 week period. Sleep interruptions or sleeping too much. Irritability. Anxiety increases. Not interested in things you used to love to do. Fatigue and low energy. Eating too much or not enough. Some people report headaches.

Now, to contrast that with bi-polar…the depressive episodes can look like what I described above…however, there MUST be some time when the person has manic phase and that can look like TONS of energy…not sleeping at all or very little. Sometimes there are “thoughts of grandeur” (I can fly or I’m going to be president tomorrow). Compulsive shopping and obsessive “cleaning” is common. Feeling of high anxiety and irritability. Flight of thoughts (thoughts going so fast you can’t hold on to them…might stop mid-sentence and go on to another subject).

I have seen people with bi-polar stay up all night…buy until they max all their cards…walk naked down the road at midnight…and do other things that show poor judgment. Hope this helps. No matter what – if half of this sounds familiar – go see a doc!

Q: symptoms and manic depression?
1.talk loudly to myself at night or whenever possible in the day about random thoughts.
2. Constant nagging pain.
3. highly irritable..feels like shouting at people
4. emotional pain….like there was a weakness in my personality and people had insulted me for this…now it is fixed..their insults torment me like hell…I want to take revenge from then since now my weakness has been fixed by myself.
5. Sometimes I cant get words out of my mouth to a question..it seems like a sentence but with no words in it
6. At some point in the past racing thoughts appeared…like one reason after anothing is coming fast like a train for my problem/weakness in my personality…like why i have this weakness or problem in my personality
7. feel lonely, hopeless, helpless, dont know the purpose of my life…my mind is trapped between thoughts and there is no getting away. My mind is undecided about life matters.
8. weight gain, fatigue, dont feel like shaving, household chores, body aches
9. I smile myself when some funny jokes i threw in at some point in the past …when i think abt them.
10. cant concentrate well , forgetful because of this non stopmental chatter.

I have felt all of these symptoms for the past three years or four years ….mostly depressive symptoms but for the last two years or so …i felt racing thoughts, nagging pain, forgetfulness, memory problems, loud talking…etc

A: I deff know how it is with racing thoughts and memory loss. Maybe you have borderline personality disorder or bipolar disorder. they are both almost the same one have more roller coaster emotions the other has the rollercoaster emotions but they last longer. bipolar disorder has what you listed most of it. and the cant concentrate well is in it too because theres symptoms off add in bipolar.

Q: My friend has symptoms of bi-polar/manic depression or hyperthyroidism, but doesnt. What could it be?
He was given drugs for manic depression about a year ago but they didnt do anything. I dont think he has either of these diseases, but im sure hes got something. Can anyone help? Thanks xx

A: apparently you are unaware that often their tests fail to find problems which are, in fact, present. see an hio method chiropractor to check for nerve interference.

Q: Is promiscuity a common symptom of manic depression?
Have you known bi-polars that act this way?

A: Yup, it is pretty common in people in a manic phase. I know a few people with it who have done a few questionable things while manic, but more than that, I’ve heard from clinical psychologists a little about what they’ve encountered

Q: Any words of advice or comfort for the husband of a Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression) sufferer?
I have been married to my wife Josie for just over 7 months. She suffers from Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depression), though only really suffers the “manic” cycles. She is currently displaying her trigger symptoms, which are “suspicious thoughts” where she thinks she is in some kind of spy story. Although I thought I’d be able to be strong for her, I’ve found myself very scared and worried.
I am obviously encouraging her to keep the specialist up to date, especially while she is aware of it, in the hope that they can suggest medication etc to stop it ballooning into anything as serious as she has suffered in years gone by.
Just wondered if there was anyone out there with any words of wisdom?
Thanks in advance for your time.
Martin
You may have to forgive my spelling here, but my wife’s medication is Lithium and Olanzapine. The latter has been increased in dose recently, as she is also taking beta-blockers to combat recent migraines.

A: I really feel for you, my husband has bi-polar and we have been married for 17 years.
I found a great book that has helped me to understand the illness a little better, if you can get a copy, it is well worth the read. “Loving Someone with Bi-Polar Disorder” helping & understanding your partner, By Julie A Fast and John D Preston, PSY.D.

Staying on meds and taking at the right time and right dose does not always keep someone with bi-polar stable, it will help flaten out the mood swings but not stop them altogether. If that is the case for your wife, you should both sit down with her doctor and work out a plan of action for when the cycle starts to change.

Q: What percent of people diagnosed with bipolar disorder/manic depression are girls?
I’m asking specifically about the diagnosis, not the percent of people estimated to have that…. Yes, there’s a reason for that. E-mail me if it’s bothering you, I don’t mind explaining it.

A: It is about 50%
Boys and girls are equally affected.

Q: What is the difference between borderlne personality disorder and bipolar disorder (manic depression)?
The two conditions are supposed to be separate, but if you look at a basic oversight of them (i.e. Wikipedia or similar) they seem extremely similar. I was just wondering if anybody with any knowledge about these matters would be able to point out what the differences are between these two conditions.
Thanks in advance for any answers.
Whoops, I obviously slightly mis-spelt ‘borderline’ in the title there.

A: Bipolar, or manic depression, is a disorder of mood. The person has mood swings which can be sudden and very forceful. Their behaviour can become quite out of control when they are ‘high’ because they are elated and thinking very fast. They can suffer extremely severe depressive bouts.
Borderline personality disorder is quite different, although the person may present initially with depression. It is a developmental disorder where the person typically has a poor sense of themselves and their behaviour in relation to other people. They find it difficult to form and sustain relationships because they find it hard to compromise and often have a poor anger management skills. They tend to blame other people for their problems and find it difficult to accept that their own behaviour affects outcomes. So they are often volatile in mood which is where the confusion occurs, but they do not have mood disorder.
Hope that helps.

Q: What is the difference between Bipolar Disorder and Manic Depression?
Every time I search for facts on Manic Depression, I get stuff on Bipolar Disorder instead, so is it the same thing?

A: I believe mental health professionals no longer use the term manic-depression, now it is officially called bipolar disorder.

Occasionally the DSM changes the names of certain disorders. For example there is no longer such a thing as ADD, now there is only ADHD with or without hyperactivity.

However, once a certain name has been used for so long, the name kinda sticks.

Q: How can I get diagnosed for Bipolar Disorder/manic depression?
How can I get the medication if I’m under 18 and don’t want my parents to know.

I don’t plan on abusing the drugs. I just need something to help with my mood swings and other symptoms

A: If you have enough money to pay for it yourself you can go see any psychiatrist yourself (initial appointment costs about $300)….. The drugs for Bipolar are not tyopically abused because most of them do not get you high……

Everyone has all the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder……. because everyone has mood swings, momentary loss of judgment, likes to go shopping, likes sex, feels down sometimes, gets angry now and then and is hyper on occasion. The difference is that all of these symptoms in Bipolar are so intense that they interfere with your ability to function. Think of a pole (biPOLEr) with 0 at the center (0 being normal) and 10 at one end (manic) and -10 at the other (deep depression). Most people have swings but stay within 3 to -3. I have fairly severe Bipolar 1 but since my psychosis is mild I go from -9 to 9…. Also depression that comes and goes is not bipolar but just recurring depression, you have to have mania for it to be Bipolar….. you have to go to both ends of the pole.

Rapidly changing moods or becoming angry or sad easily is not Bipolar. That is just having emotions. People with Bipolar Disorder do not change emotions quickly, they go through long periods of deep depression followed by long periods of mania or elevated mood, long periods meaning weeks or months or years. Mood effects everything about you…. your energy level, self esteem, sleep patterns, appetite, sexuality, emotional response, etc…..

This is what it is like to have Bipolar disorder:

Depression – too tired to get out of bed, shower, even to brush my teeth. Cry all the time, sleep 16 hours a day. Feelings of self loathing and guilt that drive me to think of suicide but I’m to tired to even think about how to go about killing myself. It makes you feel small and worthless and completely insignificant. It makes you think about how big the world is and how meaningless you are in it….. and it refuses to let you have any good thoughts or see any good things…. when you look in the mirror all you see is pain, you don’t even see yourself, you don’t taste your favorite foods anymore, see that flowers are blooming, whether or not the sun is out, you become so inward that you hardly even notice your surroundings….. You don’t even feel love for people anymore…. positive thoughts are just not possible…… it is a deep dark hole with no way out and no light for hope…. and most of all it makes you feel sooooo alone. And even if there were someone who cared about you they would be better off if you killed yourself……. because all you will ever be is a burden……. this can last from a couple of weeks to a couple of years.

Mania – Way too happy! PARTY GIRL! love drink and drugs. Talk really fast and pressured because my thoughts are going faster than my mouth can keep up with. Hypersexual – like I sleep with strangers and guys I just met on the internet or I masturbate 10 times a day. I once became bisexual because there were twice as many people to sleep with. down load porn and spend tons of money on sex toys. Spending sprees….. I once spent my mortgage money on african violets, yep, $1500 on African violets (then I got depressed and let them all die). Quit my job because I wanted my vacation pay for lottery tickets and I was so convinced I would win that I started shopping and writing bad checks because I’d be rich as soon as the numbers were drawn. Decided that I could replace the furnace in my home by myself… I mean how hard can it be….. Only sleep 2 or maybe 3 hours a night for months on end and never feel tired. In the end I was unemployed, $30,000 in debt, and had almost lost my home, which needed a new furnace because I had removed the old one.. or parts of it anyway. This can last for months.

I also have mixed states when I am depressed and manic at the same time which are truly the worst… By body and mind are depressed but there is this undercurrent of energy running all the time….. I’m highly emotional but the emotions tend to be negative (guilt and anger) I have intrusive thoughts and urges to mutilate myself (like wanting to stick my hands in the garbage disposal or cooking them on the BBQ), and I also have psychotic episodes where I hallucinate. This is when I am most suseptible to suicide because I am depressed, wanting to hurt myself, and I have the mental energy to plan and carry it out.

When I am on meds I am a normal 45 year old single mom of 3 and no one would even guess that

Q: Can a person with bipolar disorder/manic depression get disability?
I filed for disability in march..with diagnosis of panic disorder, severe depression, diastolic dysfunction, diabetes..was turned down! filed for reconsideration and was diagnosed with Bipolar/manic depression. I do not go anywhere. I will drive but as far as goin in place i dont go. I havent been in a store, resturant, etc since dec 2008. I stay home and wont even go to my friends or families homes. Im afraid of havin a severe panic attacks. Those do not feel good. I try to avoid them as much as possible. I have had plenty in my sleep. can someone help me?

A: I understand your panic disorder. I haven’t been able to travel for years because of the horror of panic disorder. You are really bad and you need to get disability. You may have to get some help, since you are not hardly able to leave your home, because this might have to be taken before a Judge in a court of law. I know a lady that has been getting disability for panic disorders for years. She can go around town and just drive a little bit from home. She has been right around her home since 1980. Can’t take vacations. I am fortunate that I have been able to work, but I have had to take jobs below me because of my disability. I have a personality disorder and can’t hardly stand being with people along with panic attacks and constantly being smothered because I have a fear of the sky.. They bother me so bad that I stay to myself most of the time. So I have to work alone, and sometimes I can barely do that. So I do know what you feel and how restricted you are in what you can or can’t do. People who have never suffered with this phobia can not possibly have even an idea. I wish I was normal and could take a trip somewhere. Don’t give up on the disability that you so deserve.

Q: whats the best way to deal with having bipolar disorder / manic depression ?
i have recently been told i suffer from bipolar disorder is there any tips people can give me on how to handle it im a bit scared .
becase i was resently diagnosed and also suffer from anorexia nervosa it makes it slightly harder

A: Ok try This

I have come up with seven ways to assist you in helping to eliminate or reduce your depression.

1) Eat properly : This means, most of all, remember TO eat! With depression, it seems that you either don’t want to eat at all or you gorge yourself constantly! The main thing that is important is that you eat healthy nutrients for your body in order for it to help to get back into balance. If you have trouble eating large meals then eat small meals divided up during the day. Remember to eat green vegetables, chicken, fish etc. You need your protein and especially your vitamin B which helps with stress. You can also take a supplement if your doctor doesn’t contraindicate it.

2) Get enough sleep: Again, with depression, usually the norm is that you either sleep too little or too much. What we are looking for here is a happy medium! Both too little and too much sleep can make you feel even more depressed! If you aren’t tired or you have repetitive thoughts running around in your head, try to read prior to going to bed, watch TV, exercise before bed so that you are tired. Take a hot bath, have your husband or partner give you a massage, use relaxation techniques. Try anything. Remember, don’t lie awake in bed if you can’t sleep. Get up and do something and then try lying down again. That way you only associate bed with sleep.

3) Get outside: Why? because that puts you back in the world of the living! It is especially helpful for me to go out to the woods and take in all of the scenery with all of the sights and sounds. There is something about hearing birds chirping that helps. Sunshine helps depression so get out in the sun and let it do it’s work! Breathe in the fresh air. Even if you have no desire to get off of your sofa or out of your bed, believe me, I have been there and I understand, trust me, you absolutely need to get outside! Go do an errand that needs to be done, even if it is just a small one. You CAN do it if you try!

4) Exercise: Ok, I KNOW that you have heard this one! I used to think “yeah, right! I can’t even get the strength to stand up from my chair but you want me to exercise?!!” I hear you loud and clear, but before you completely disregard it, let me inform you that exercise releases endorphins that naturally reduce depression so that it scientifically does help you! When I say exercise, I don’t mean that you have to start an aerobics class or anything that intense!! I am talking about just walking around the block to start with..or as far as you can tolerate the first time. Try to increase your endurance and distance every time you walk. You can also try the Wii fitness, if you have it. It can be quite helpful because it offers Yoga as an exercise, which I happen to use. The main point is get your body moving! It may be painful at first..but you definitely will see a difference in the end.

5) Use Relaxation Techniques: If you have not learned how to relax or any easy relaxation techniques, there are many videos out there that will walk you through a full body relaxation and it is something that you can also do for yourself. One example of this is to start at the top of your body, ( your head) tense by the count of three and relax by the count of three, and continue this with every muscle of your body down to your toes until you feel physically relaxed.
Relaxation also applies to whatever it is you do that is your passion. You may not be “feeling” it right now, but attempt to try it. Going through the motions can sometimes be helpful. Write in a journal, paint, go fishing, listen to music, dance…whatever it is to you that can give you peace of mind, even for a moment. Go to your “place of peace” or an imaginary place that you feel safe, secure and free of stress. Basically, it means try to imagine yourself in a place where you feel the most comfortable and safe. Imagine it and memorize it to the fullest detail. This will be helpful for you when you get stressed out. You can mentally take yourself back to that place quickly with practice!

6) Pet a pet: Sound simple? Well, it is! Research has shown that people who have pets are less stressed. Think about how relaxing it is to pet a cat or dog. They love you unconditionally and only want to please you. What more could you want? More and more hospitals, nursing homes, etc. are allowing “pet therapy” for their residents because they realize it’s value. Try it for yourself. You will be glad you did!

7) Act “As if..”: Most people who are in any type of recovery program knows only too well what this saying means! To explain it.. it means even if you are feeling completely depressed, try as hard as you can to act “as if” you aren’t depressed. Go through the motions of your daily life. It is important to keep up your routine. Depressed people tend to get out of their normal routine and find it difficult to resume it sometimes. This does not mean that you will automatically feel completely wonderful and not depresse

Q: What Is Bipolar disorder (Manic depression)?
My doctor wants to do some tests to determine weather or not, I have Bipolar disorder.
She gave me a pamphlet but its not very informative, just states the facts that I feel depressed alot and have for most of my life and I have mood changes which is true.
But not what it is caused by, how it can be treated and so on.

Any info would be great.

Thanks
Prince!

I agree with your answer.
Although I wasn’t coming to conclusions.

A: People confuse mood with emotion….. mood affects everything about you. Your energy level, sleep patterns, appetite, emotional response (which emotions you feel and how strongly), your judgment, sexual appetite, etc……. Bipolar is not about being happy one minute then sad the next then mad, that is just having emotions….. The mood swings in Bipolar last a very long time, weeks to months to years and the average Bipolar only swings once or twice a year.

People never never understand the true severity of bipolar disorder. They also do not understand that for an “episode” to be considered Bipolar it has to last all day every day for a week……. That’s the minimum, in reality the episodes last for weeks or months or even years. There are cases where a person can have more than one or two episodes a year but it is really rare. Also you HAVE TO HAVE the mania (or hypomania) for it to be bipolar. Without mania it is just recurring depression.

The mood swings in Bipolar do not usually have a trigger. They come and go very randomly…… If someone with Bipolar is depressed or manic there is nothing you can do to bring them out of their mood short of medication…..

This is what Bipolar is like for me.

Depression- to tired to get out of bed, shower, brush your teeth….. lie in bed and stare at the ceiling for days at a time, crying a lot, feelings of guilt, and self loathing, may be suicidal but are too tired to even consider planning it, sleep 16 hours a day or more, eating too much or not enough.

Manic – over the moon happy, hypersexual (like masturbating 10 times a day or sleeping with numerous men, strangers, your cousin…….decide you are bi because then there are twice as many people to have sex with, decide you are into BDSM and contract to be someones slave for a week), spending your mortgage money on african violets (or some other useless things), driving your car 120 mph, grandiose thoughts (like thinking you can put a new furnace in your house by yourself, or tearing the sideing of the house because youcan put ip new stuff by yourself with a hammer and a hacksaw), quitting your job because you are buying lottery tickets with your last paycheck and you know you will win…… only sleep 2 or 3 hours a night and feel completely rested, can’t concentrate, racing thoughts (it sounds like 50 people in your head all talking at the same time), talk really fast and loud because your mouth can’t keep up with our mind.

Q: Is this a sign of bipolar disorder/manic depression?
Every once in awhile I will either get very depressed and cry over small things “literally cry” and/or get angry.

I’m am usually never happy, only on very rare occasion do I feel happy.

Thinking happy doesn’t work, I can smile and laugh but not feel happy.

Meds don’t work either, some make it worst.

A: Usually with manic depression, you’ll have bursts of euphoria- extreme, intense feelings of happiness. However, you can only have one episode of mania and still be diagnosed with bipolar disorder so it depends. It sounds like you’re in a consistent mood, so mood swings seem to be absent. It doesn’t sound like bipolar, but I would really encourage you to go talk to a psychiatrist. Especially if you think you have bipolar disorder and think you’ve been misdiagnosed. They’ll take that into consideration.

Q: Manic depression or bipolar disorder?
Whats the difference between manic depression and bipolar disorder? I’ve done the research on both disorders and I seem to be suffering from both. What is the best medication to help bipolar disorder and manic depression? This is taking over my life and I need a good medication to help me.

A: manic depression is also known as bipolar, here is a site on depression and antidepressant as well, hope it helps:

Q: Are manic depression and Bipolar disorder really the same thing?
I was diagnosed with Manic Depression about three years ago. I stopped taking the meds after six months because I didn’t like what they do to me.

I have been having difficulty with my MD a lot lately–it’s been worse. Mood swings for no causes whatsoever. I was googling some alternatives to prescribed medication for Manic Depression and everything that came up was Bipolar disorder.

I knew that the two were similar–but are they really the same thing?

A: Yes, they are two names for the same disorder. Manic Depression is the old name for what is now called Bipolar Disorder. Professionals chose to discard the name “Manic Depression” or “Manic-Depressive Disorder” in favor of Bipolar Disorder because it is more accurate. Not all forms of bipolar cause manic episodes – bipolar II does not have manic features, but instead the patient suffers from “hypomanic” or “sub-manic” episodes. Cyclothymia also has these hypomanic features, as well as less profound depressive episodes. Because of the different varieties of the disorder, the name “Manic Depression” was misleading and inaccurate, so it was changed to Bipolar Disorder.

Hope that helps clear things up!

Q: BiPolar Disorder/Manic Depression?
I have BiPolar Disorder/Manic Depression and I’ve been reading a lot about some of your experiences on here. I’ve done a lot of research on the Illness, as I am a Psych. Major, and I was just wondering if those of you with this Illness, or any other Mental Illness at that matter, would like to share your experiences/story?
To Jessie K: I was trying to use terms that everyone knew. Some people know it as BiPolar, some people know it as Manic Depression.

Although, I’m sure that must be hard for you to grasp.
Don’t worry about the self-diagnosis, I’ve been diagnosed since I was 14, went into Psych. to help others, etc.

I just wanted to make a place for people to share their experiences, as I had read so many questions of people who were confused and reaching out.

A: I have suffered from Bipolar & Borderline Personality Disorder for 25 years. There were a lot of contributing factors that developed throughout my childhood. I was used, abused, ridiculed, teased, bullied & hit. I was sexually abused at 5 & 6 & gang raped at 17 (as a virgin), then a couple of months later abducted at knife point & raped again. I became a drug addict & I was a very angry person, self-harming & many suicide attempts, in & out of the psych ward, rehabs, counselling. Had a crap life, criminal record, lost my kids, lost jobs, cars & property repossessed, disowned by family, lost friends, became homeless, declared bankrupt 3 times-I tried everything to get my life back on track, I just wanted a normal life & to be happy. They say CBT therapy is best & I tried this for 5 years & it didn’t do much for me, plus statistics prove that 80% of people fail to maintain change in the long-term. However, when I started this new therapy called ACT, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, my life changed dramatically. I stopped taking drugs & I haven’t been back to the psych ward since. I had 65 admissions in a 5 year period, I’ve not had 1 admission in over a year now since I started ACT therapy. I participated in a group therapy once a week for 6 months & also an individual therapy session once a week for 9 months. I learnt so much about understanding my thoughts, feelings, & emotions & that I may not be able to control these but I can control how I behave in response to my thoughts, feelings & emotions. They teach many methods to enable you to deal with the most unpleasant emotions & feelings, yet still react & behave in an acceptable way. This dramatically helps with improving self-esteem, confidence & relationships too. I’m closely monitored & take medication which gets altered according to if I’m going ‘up’ or ‘down’, I know the warning signs & I’m able to control it before it controls me. I needed a combination of meds & therapy, one or the other on it’s own wasn’t good enough.I went from drug addict/basket case to a fully functioning, respected citizen who is now studying Drug & Alcohol Work & Counselling & running support groups myself now, I’ve become a role model-YES my life has improved dramatically!! BPD is not a permanent condition, I was tested & re-diagnosed recently & have no BPD symptoms at all, when they once were very severe. It is hard to live with, it’s a lot of hard work to keep symptoms at bay, but I’m in control now & enjoying my life, I’m not going to let it sink me again. I’m seriously thinking of going on & studying Psychology myself because the more I learn, the more I understand & that gives me the confidence to keep on top of it & I want to help others cope with it too.

Q: Bipolar Manic Depression Disorder ?
I was just told that i have Bipolar Manic Depression Disorder (BPMDD) and i am worried because i feel as if i am broken. I am worried because I don’t know anyone else my age who has it.

A: I’m 24. I have it.

Q: Would people who have bipolar disorder (manic depression) choose to keep the condition or get rid of it?
I have bipolar disorder (a.k.a. manic depression). I have the bipolar II type.
I was just wondering if other people who have the condition would choose to keep it, or would choose to get rid of it, if they had the chance?
For me the question would be difficult. Sometimes I get really demoralised and downbeat about being depressed, how it (sometimes markedly) messes up my academic work because I can’t be motivated to do anything, and can cause a stigma against me (I’ve lost jobs when I’ve admitted to being bipolar).
But then on the other hand, I really really appreciate my highs, when everything seems so vivid and brilliant. It makes me feel I am really experiencing life, and privy to things that people without the disorder would miss. And if I’m on a high it really really helps my academic work (I’m a postgrad) cos ideas come much faster and are better.
I was watching the Stephen Fry programme about Bipolar which aired in the UK. Most folks asked said they’d choose to keep it.
So my question is, if you have bipolar disorder, would you choose to keep it or get rid of it?
Thanks in advance for any answers.
p.s. this repeats a question I asked earlier, only because I guess there are new folks online now who weren’t earlier.

A: A psychiatrist once told me that in general the most gifted, artistic people suffer from manic depression and judging by the large number of famous, talented people who are affected by this condition I think he was right. While some of the lows are really black, the highs can be stupendous, ideas come thick and fast though sometimes this can cause sleeplessness 24/7

Q: Are bipolar disorder and manic depression the same thing?
Can some explain what manic depression actually means?

A: yes they are the same disorders just with and “updated” name. manic depression/bipolar is basically when you have periods of hyperness (mania) and periods of depression. sometimes this periods can last hours days or months depending on the type of bipolar.

Q: What is the treatment for manic depression?
I reeeeaaalllyyy need some help here.

A: You need a medication to stabilize your mood. Go to a doctor as soon as you can or go to a crisis center right now if you’re really desperate.

You can learn more about manic depression at www.depressiondodging.com

Good luck

Q: if i have manic depression, how do i get the right treatment? what is the treatment? &how do i get a diagnosis
what can you do also if you keep havin flash backs of past traumas, like when i was in supportive housin years ago with care workers, who when i was out would steal all my clothes, i couldnt prove who it was or who was doing it, this was in 2001. now i get angry at being taken advantage of and think, the injustice of it. what do flash backs mean? plus my thoughts are racing bad at the moment.
im finding it very hard to get a grip at the moment

A: You need to seek professional help now.
Manic depression never remembers any good times, and only results in downward spiral of mood.
If you have an HMO, consult with him or her first, and ask for a referral to psychiatry.
If you’re really pushed into a corner, and feel like you are at your wits end, call 1-800-SUICIDE.
It sounds like you might have PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome with the flashbacks. On-going counseling and or medication can help with the flashbacks.

Please consult with a psychiatrist soon.

Good luck to you and don’t give up.

Q: Manic Depression? Any treatments without doctors?
This past year and a half I’ve developed severe manic depression. I’ve tried birth control and hormone balancing pills, but neither had any effect (positive or negative). I’m very reluctant to get prescribed anti-depressants, and getting a counselor/therapist is not an option right now. Does anybody have any advice or “home remedies” for this plague of emotions?

A: Have you been diagnosed by a professional or are you simply guessing that you have manic depression? Bipolar is something that can take years to diagnose properly and the only way to control it is medication.
Anti depressants would not help at all as most can make you go into a manic stage, you would need anti psychotic or a mood stabilising medication to help you.

Good luck

Q: What could come of someone w Manic Depression keeping it a secret and leaving it untreated?
I have a friend who confessed her condition with me. She hasn’t told anyone else, and she refuses to do any kind of treatment because she says meds make her feel unlike herself. I recently learned that manic depression is degenerative and I’m really worried. Would I break her trust by talking about my feelings with someone else? Should I voice my thoughts and suggestions or will she get offended?

A: Talk to her honestly about what you are feeling. She is a close enough friend to share this info, so you probably have a pretty tight and honest relationship. It doesn’t make sense to start keeping secrets and holding back how you feel now.

When you talk, share what you learned and how you feel. Don’t interrogate or be judgmental, however, that doesn’t mean you can’t ask why she’s making her choices. You also have to know that this is her choice and you can’t make it for her. The other thing that would be good to discuss is what she wants you to do if she becomes suicidal or goes manic. These will happen, and when they do big time, poof goes the secret. Anyway, getting her to think about a plan and how it would effect you might get her to think a little more.

So you know, many with bipolar have to go unmedicated in a form of denial for a while. How long ‘a while’ is depends on the person. As long as she’s not self-medicating, she’s more apt to seek treatment sooner rather than later.

And… she entrusted you with personal information. Unless sharing the info with others is necessary for your friend’s health, then don’t. There is a huge stigma, and the violation you would make by talking could well be irreparable.

Q: How is mental illness such as bipolar/manic depression + depression in general treated in egypt?
According to someone w/ a psychology degree in egypt, acceptance and understanding of mental disorders is a fairly new phenomenon. I’d like to know what kind of treatment people w/ bipolar receive in egypt since I find those w/ the “disease” fascinating individuals (tend to be musicians and artists…and to the potential uninformed person who wants to go off on multiple personalities and schizophrenia, it’s medically not the same as manic depression/bipolar. You’ll find that fact pointed out in a beginning psychology text book). Also, if recognition of mental illness isn’t as prevalent since the acceptance of mental sicknesses are kind of new, is there a severely high rate of suicide or other destructive behaviors? And with the lack of availability of jobs preventing ppl. from marrying at the time they would like to marry (and probably being a major factor in ppl. feeling sexually repressed and possibly upset often because of it), are depression rates high? If so, what is done4 it

A: I agree, it is really only just being acknowledged as a treatable condition in many countries, including Egypt.
Regarding Egypt,one problem faced is the difficulty of obtaining a correct diagnosis.
Most Egyptian people can not afford to seek a medical referral to a consulting specialist diagnostician in this area.
Many in fact cannot afford basic medical care,so this type of condition if recognised, becomes a low priority for committing money to.
There are among some, cultural issues to be considered.
More pronounced conditions also go untreated, not just because of the families financial situation and lack of treatment centres.
But also because any “illness” that is considered to weaken a person’s character, such as bipolar /manic depression, would be a form of discredit to the whole family.
Especially if the patient was male.
Up until very recently this was also the attitude of Western cultures,including America ,Europe and Australia.
Many would send the affected family member away to distant relatives to be cared for.
Or have them institutionalised.
It was a relatively common practice to lock the individual away from the eyes of even close friends and neighbours.
Denial by the individual is likely to play a very big part in the lack of those diagnosed and treated .
If at all possible, a normal “front” is played out with excuses made for the severe episodes.
This is still prevalent in the West,and is unlikely to change much at all in Egypt and other countries whose public health care system is deficiant in so many areas,such as education and availability by all to treatment.
Until education enlightens the inherent fear of any problem affecting our way of behaviours, those with these types of conditions will sadly continue to go untreated .

Q: Can you draw unemploymt benefits in NC if fired for tardiness (due to manic depression)?
Person began treatment w/psychiatrist, but the drugs initially prescribed made mania worse – up all night, sleeping only about 3 hours a night or weeks. Then difficult to wake in the morn & get to work on time.

A: I hope they don’t that would be abusing the system… If the fault is yours for showing up late and you have not given a Dr. note then you are responsiable. I just search about ten pages and If you are fired for a medical reason then yes you can get it and a lawsuit at that. But if you did not provide a Excuse for light duty or for being late more than three times you get nothing.

Q: manic depression/bipolar and anxiety?
I’m fifteen years old. When I was 13 I was under treatment for Depression, I got on Prozac and everything was fine. Then I relapsed and was considered suffering from manic depression and was put on Effexor. Then it turned out I was Bipolar and I was given Lithum. And now I’ve been told that I apparently suffer from anxiety . I’m put again on Prozac. Does this make any sense?

A: NO!!!!

Q: God I totally detest asking questions about MANIC DEPRESSION but there is one more thing I need to ask?
MD’s and MANIC DEPRESSIVES(BIPOLAR) ONLY!!PLS.
Does any of your doctors gave you PROZAC as a complimentary treatment to the mood stabilizer that you use.You know in some cases doctors not only avoid mania(highs)by prescribing mood stabilizers like lythium etc,but also adds a complementary anti-depressant in order to avoid the depression(lows).But there’s a handicap in usage of anti-depressants in manic depressives for some anti-depressants can be an access to mania.Is PROZAC one of the mania causer anti depressants or it is witnessed that PROZAC can become a part of the bipolar medication.ANY BIPOLARS USING PROZAC AS A COMPLIMENTARY TO THE MOOD STABILIZER?
thank you.

A: You need to take a friend to the doctor with you to help answer questions that you may not know the answer to. With good info the doctor will try different meds until things are working for you. You have to tell the doctor about side affects and your general well being, your doctor can’t fix what he doesn’t know is broke.

Q: manic depression.what’s the difference?
what is the difference between manic derpression and just depression.is it true a manic derpression person doesnt live past 35.or is that just b.s. what are treatments for people with serious depression.

A: Manic Depression is the old term for what is now called Bipolar Disorder. See link below for complete definition.

Depressions is a constant feeling of sadness, tired, run down, suicidal etc. Manic or Mania is the total opposite (thus the word “bipolar) where you think you are smarter than everyone, spend more money, and often hyper sexuality.

You’re more likely to get hit by a bus than to die from bipolar disorder.

Treatments include therapy, medication and education.

The first step is to contact a Psychiatrist. They’ll get you started on the right medications. If you’re not on the right medication than therapy is a not worth the money.

Q: What is the Life Long Mental Depression Treatment?
Manic Depressive Illness
Lithium Carbonate
Flouxetine
Escitalopram
Haloperidol

A: cognitive behaviour therapy is the best.
if you use medication, your confidence in yourself is reduced.

Q: whats manic depression?
i was diagonsed with manic depression, some paronia and..obessive compulsive disorder..im 20 can it be cure .my physician siad..some can be.but some have to come back for treatment from time to time..

A: another name for bipolar disorder. look it up

Q: Lady(50) with manic-depression needs full time residential rehabiliation/carevfacility-Bnglre/Chennai.advise?
One of my family friend: House wife ( age 50) is suffering from chronic Bipolar psychiatric problem ( manic-depression) for the past 25 years. She is under regular long term treatment under good psychiatrists and the disease is very much under control, except for minor aberrations- flare ups very occasionally. She is also a chronic diabetic.Her two children are employed in the software industry and hence due to continuous travel, are not able to take care of her. She is quite active personally but not able enough to take care of house hold chores. They want to admit her in an affordable medium cost long term residential care center which will treat her kindly and keep her active and healthy. Preferable places will be around Bangalore or Tamilnadu. For your kind advise pls.

A: Hi there !
Way of your thinking is okay…but if I had been in your position, I would have employed a kind “living-in nurse”, who will take care of her , in the best way…!
Maybe this will work out better economically also…
In Tamil nadu there are few old age homes.
But the residential care centres you talk about, details are available with :
Vishranthi, No.4/227, MGR Salai, Palavakkam, Chennai- 600 041.
Tel: 2449 0972.

For detailed information, contact:
Karthik Venkatesh, Executive Director, CIOSA, Tel: 044 – 2833 3351
Savithri Vaithi, Chairperson, Vishranthi, Tel: 044- 2449 0972

best wishes !

Q: Please help. My boyfriend has manic depression & just broke up with me because of it. I don’t know what to do?
Hi there,

I’m a 27 year old girl and I’ve been dating this guy for 4 months. It has been a turbulent relationship as he can have severe mood swings and is a recovering alcoholic. I would never normally be with someone who has such mental baggage but despite this I have completely fallen for him.

His mood swings are terrible. He would never be violent but he could go from compleley loving and happy to severely depressed where I know there is nothing I can do but give him space. I just thought that was his personality. Recently he took me on holiday, his amily adore me and he has done everything to signify that he was happy with me and wanted to have a serious relationship. He gave all the signs of wanting this. I am not a stupid girl and I would never read into things more then what they are. He did every action to make me believe he wanted to be with me.

Yesterday, out of the blue he came over as we were meant to go for lunch. Instead he sat there severely depressed and said he wanted to break up. I was and am in complete shock. He said he needed time to get better and it was only then I realised that he suffered from manic depression. I know this has nothing to do with me but I am absolutely devastated. I love him so much and I am so afraid he is going to do something stupid. His father had manic depression and committed suicide and I am so afraid. He admitted to me that he just doesn’t feel like others do. That he’s almost devoid of emotion. All the while, he couldn’t look at me in the eyes while saying this. And it was difficult for him to even finish saying how he felt about me which I know is strong.

He is a wonderful boyfriend and person 50% of the time and I am completely addicted to his high. I’m in love with it when he’s in love with life but when he has a low it is so hard and very bruising on me. All the same, I love that other part of him and I can’t walk away knowing how wonderful he can be and knowing how low he can get without someone beside him.

I don’t want to break up. I want to be there for him. I want to support him and help him. I’m involved now and I can’t walk away and think I’ve made a lucky escape.I am devastated and I feel like someone has punched a giant hole in my chest.

Please can someone who knows about bipolar disorder/manic depression help me? Please explain to me how I can get him to see that we can still be together and go through treatment at the same time. What do I say? I don’t want to put pressure on him and I am not a clingy girlfriend so I don’t mind giving him space and all the time he needs but I don’t want to break up.

Please give me some advice in getting him to see this.

A: My ex has bipolar disorder. It is what broke us up. We were together for 5 years and looking back, it was 5 years of hell, 5 years that I will never get back. My ex was on meds but he would still fall into these deep mood swings. It was so bad that he even lost his job because of it. My family and friends begged me to leave him, but like you, I clung to the 50% side of him that was funny and loving. Look, if you really want to be there for him, that’s really admirable. But you need to come to terms with the possibility that he won’t want to get back together with you. Maybe he wanted to break up because he saw how much he was hurting you? Unhealthy relationships are tricky. I honestly went through the “let’s get back together” phase many times. I finally met a great guy who treats me so well, I see even more how unhealthy and wrong my previous relationship was. Your ex’s family needs to be involved too. Past alcoholism + bipolar disorder are a lot for you to try to handle on your own. You alone are not going to cure him of it nor save him from himself. You are going to end up losing yourself somewhere in the mix. I do not mean to sound harsh, but I have been *exactly* where you are. Looking back, I can’t believe I stayed with my ex as long as I did. 5 years of fights, walking on eggshells, dealing with mood swings, feeling awful while everyone else around me had great relationships. I know you are hurting right now and it feels like all the air has gone out of the room. With time and distance, I am sure you will see (just like I did) how better you feel with this weight off your shoulders.

Q: Do i have Manic Depression or perhaps a milder form?
Do i have Manic Depression or perhaps a milder form?
Am i Manic Depressive?
Anyway i am 22 and i was discharged from hospital in Glasgow 6 weeks ago after a 6 day stay. My diagnosis was “Recurrent Depressive Disorder”.I was on Citalopram 20mg for 8 months before i was hospitalised and this treatment has been continued.Anyway for the past two weeks maybe more,i have been having racing thoughts like scenes from movies and music and ideas going round my head a hundred miles an hour and i can’t concentrate and it gives me trouble sleeping at night at times. Also my speech has really fast and pressured and i can’t help it. I have also felt more energetic than usual and i haven’t been needing much sleep. I get like 3-4 hours and i don’t feel tired. I see the psychitrist in a few days. I am going to wait until then and tell her how i have been feeling.

What do you think is wrong with me? When i tell the psychiatrist what i have wrote here do you think she will put me on different medication or diagnose me?Thanks for reading.

A: hyper,,,,,,,

Q: need advice on how to help my husband deal with PTSD and manic depression with blackouts and moodswings!?
We have undergone a huge amount of stress this year a long with owning a business, having a baby, losing a job, almost eviction, utilities being shut off, vehicles breaking down, vehicle repo, as well as dealing with anxiety disorter,PTSD, and manic depression. My husband is an awesome guy and only the last 3 years has he started having bad moodswings 2 have turn out violent where I have been left with a black eye and bruises. He had a lot of abuse from his sister beating him as a child and we think that could be the cause. We have no money to get counseling, but he wants to get help now! He is having a hard time dealing with the fact he hit me, and i am concerned for him. He comes from a family that never faught around him a day in his life. He never heard his parents or family argue once. The only problem was his sister. 1 week ago he blacked out, yes we were both drinking, and he thought I got on top of him and started hitting him which I didn’t, and he got very violent and I had to run out of my house. The next morning he did not even remember or know what he did untill someone told him, he just thought I left him for no reason. He said he never wants to drink ever again and hasn’t, wants to get counseling and see if he needs medication as well. I want to stand by him and support him but a little afraid he might do it again but worse. On the otherhand he is ill and needs help and I do not want to turn away from that. He has never showed any violent behavior towards his son what so ever. He is the best Dad in the world,and loves me with all of his heart, he wants to leave me because he is afraid this might happen again even after treatment. Please help, what do I do, should I stick around if he really gets the help he needs, or should I leave him anyway?

A: 1.always take medication specially when feeling good [thats the reason your feeling good] . 2 totally avoid alcohol [this will only bring on or deepen depression.3 keep him busy with meaningful work [its about focusing on being positive instead of negative thoughts].3 always let him know hes loved and point out all the good aspects of his life,give support and use any help groups available. and finallygive yourself some time to to recuperate from your efforts.good luck ,things will get better.