manic depression Essay -- essays research papers

MANIC DEPRESSIONEstimates say that about 2 and a half million Americans suffer from manicdepressive illness. Also called bipolar disorder, this amiable illness involves episodes inwhich a psyches caprice alternates between extreme mania and mental picture. A person mayexperience pressure and racing thoughts and speech, and often irrepressible recklessbehavior. Two thirds of those who suffer from bipolar illness have numerous episodes ofrecurrences of alternating phases. Most populate suffering from manic depressive illnessexperience extreme cases of up and Dow emotion. Studies say manic depression is one ofthe most understudied psychiatric illnesses. Bipolar disorder is much less common than depression. atleast 8 percent of peopleexperience depression within their lives. bipolar disorder affects men and women almostequally, and is most common amongst upper economic classes. 15 percent of people withbipolar disorder commit suicide. research shows that highly creative people su ch asartists, composers , writers, and poets, show usually high rates of bipolar disorder. Theirperiods of mania is say to fuel their creativity. Bipolar disorder usually begins in a persons late teens early twenties. Men usuallyexperience mania as the number 1 mood episode, where as women usually experiencedepression first. episodes of mania and depression usually last from several weeks toseveral months. In most cases swings between mania and depression occur within days. In other cases a person may experience major depression and minor mania. Mania anddepression may to a fault follow patterns of seasons. Mania in the winter and fall anddepression in summer and spring. People suffering from bipolar disorder feel indifferent to produce and have no desire to do anything constructive. They think slow, concentratepoorly, feel tired, and experience changes, usually an increase in appetite and sleep. Theyoften feel a sense of worthlessness and helplessness. In some cases a person may feelpessimistic about the future and may attempt suicide. a patient of may all experiencedelusions and hallucinations. In the manic phase people feel intensely and inappropriatelyhappy, self important and irritable. During this state a person becomes highly energizedand sleeps less, talking in rapid fire speech often going off in all directions. They haveinflated confidence and unused self esteem. Man... ... symptoms become extreme ordangerous. experts say thrusts can be fights between spouses or loss of sleep. A patientmost likely go forth still suffer from some symptoms even if they follow the exact order ofmedicine. This illness has no cure. Doctors also have not figured out what causes bipolardisorder. Allot of patients find cling to in talking to other patients about their illness. This allowsthe patients to find a common bond with another person. Giving the patient the comfortof knowing someone else is going through the same thing if not worse. hospitals offermany suppor t groups for manic depressive people. Stress is said to be the biggest cause ofmania and depression occurances. Therapy is supposed to reduce a persons feeling ofstress. Manic depression research as come a long way since it was first discovered. It stillremains though one of the most understudied psychiatric disorders. Millions of people ayear suffer from this diease. It can result in suicide, drug abuse, and open sex.This illness deserves more attention then it is receiving. I feel we as a nation shouldaddress the on going rise of suicides as a cause of one form or another of manicdepression.