Manic depression is a term that is not used very often, as the medical community has renamed the condition bipolar disorder. Manic depression, or bipolar disorder, is a psychological impairment that, left untreated, can interfere with day-to-day activities. The main characteristics of the disorder include severe mood changes that range from very high to extremely low. Energy levels can sway from day to day. Without proper treatment, people suffering with manic depression can end up losing jobs, developing poor relationship skills and contemplating suicide on a regular basis.
Causes
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, manic depression seems to have a strong genetic component. Although no direct cause has yet been identified for the disorder, bipolar disorder appears to run in families. Researchers have found that nearly 50 percent of all bipolar disorders begin in the late teenage years. While most people who have a family history of manic depression will not develop the disorder, children with a close relative who has the condition are four to six times more likely to develop it themselves. Manic depression also may appear in teens with a family history of obsessive-compulsive disorder and other psychiatric conditions. Studies also have found that brain development plays a role in the development of manic depression. Patients with bipolar disorder have shown similarities in brain imaging x-rays to those with schizophrenia.
Environment
Environmental factors seem to play the largest role in the development of manic depression. Researchers have found that many substance abusers also display signs of manic depression, but they cannot yet point to the drug use as the cause of the condition or a result of it. Traumatic events, such as rape, extensive verbal and physical abuse and loss of loved ones can trigger manic depression in those with a disposition to the disorder. When diagnosing manic depression, doctors consider behaviors such as missing work or school for no apparent reason, substance and alcohol abuse, suicide attempts and other psychologically driven abnormalities such as obsessive-compulsive behavior and panic attacks.
Symptoms
Symptoms of the disorder may be triggered by a crisis or traumatic events. At the same time, mood swings and drastic changes in energy levels may occur for no apparent reason. The scale usually swings from displays of hopelessness and lethargy to frantic periods of mania when the patient seems to have high energy levels with the ability to get a lot of things accomplished. The depression phase of the condition is often characterized by changes in eating and sleeping patterns, restlessness and irritability and difficulty paying attention. Manic symptoms often include racing thoughts and rapid speech patterns, unrealistic expectations, spending sprees and other compulsive actions.
