What Does it Mean to Be Manic Depressive?

First, what is manic depression? Manic depression is a bipolar disorder that means a patient is going between cycles of mania and depression. Mania is where a person will be overly enthusiastic, or excited for a period of time. The older term, manic depressive, has been replaced by the term bipolar affective disorder. During a manic episode, the person may exhibit extreme irritability that can last for a long period of time. Other symptoms of a manic episode may have the person feeling very self-important, the person may also develop poor sleep problems, or their mind might be filled with racing thoughts, have an inability to focus, or seem hyper in their speech.

What causes manic depression? There are a few different factors that are thought to contribute to manic depression, such as the environment the person grew up in as a child, genetics, or psychological processes. Much study has gone into determining the causes, as the bipolar disorder is a problem for many individuals, but much is still unknown. There is belief it might also be a result of a severe chemical imbalance, but this is still being studied as well. Through some of the studies currently being done to further understand this form of depression, it has been found a connection between this bipolar disorder and a person's creativity may exist. While this has not been proven, it does seem coincidental that many of the well known artists of both the past and present appear to have suffered from this form of depression.

Is manic depression, or bipolar disorder, curable? Being as there is still a ways to go before it is better understood, there is no real cure for this condition. What makes it even more difficult to help individuals diagnosed with this form of depression is that it seems to differ slightly from person to person. Different people will also react to medications and online therapy differently than other people who have tried the same things, so each individual may require their own individual treatment with an online counselor. The different treatments needed could be dependent on the cause of the disorder, but then again, as mentioned before, little is actually understood about the causes so the treatments can be a little hit and miss. Despite all this, treatment is available through online counseling for people who accept they might be suffering from this form of depression and want help. It might take a little while before results are felt, and it could even take time to try different medications out there to see which will be the right one for the patient, but in the end the patient could end up with the right treatment for them. If they want it bad enough and are patient enough to keep trying, then they could end up finding the right treatment that could help them live better lives.

Bipolar disorder, or manic depression, affects many individuals in the world today who may not even be aware they have it. For those that want help, there is an option. An online therapist can sort out quickly what is going on and get you the best help possible. There are also people who know they have it, but feel there is no hope for them. No one should have to live with this and suffer in silence. Going out and seeking help is the first step to having a better life.