Families find it stressful to plan any activities or events for fear of the affected person causing a scene or problem at the event. Families can greatly benefit from becoming active in a manic depressive support group.
The word manic means mania. Characteristics of mania include: increased energy and activity, restlessness, racing thoughts and rapid speech, excessive euphoria, extreme irritability and distractibility, decreased sleep requirement, uncharacteristically poor judgement, increased sexual drive, denial that anything is wrong, and risk behavior. Depression is characterized by: persistent sad, anxious or empty mood, feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness, pessimism, guilt, loss of pleasure or interest in ordinary activities including sex, decreased energy, feelings of fatigue, difficulty remembering, concentrating and making decisions, changes in appetite, and thoughts of suicide (www.whatisBipolar.com).
Mental illness is a hidden disease many times. It is something that happens to your neighbor, your co-worker, and yourself; and you may not even know it. There are currently many medications on the marked to help these individuals. There are anti-psychotic drugs such as tegretol and depakote. These two medications may be combined with lithium, or taken in place of it. For some bipolar individuals lithium alone does not work. There are many side effects that can occur while taking these medications, but the benefits, in general, outweigh the risks. A person experiencing or suffering from severe mania or psychotic depression may hear "voices" in their heads. These medications can help prevent these episodes from happening. There currently is great progress being made in the diagnosis and treatment of bipolar illness. .
A part of the manic state may include a feeling that everyone around them are moving slower; they are more likely to speed while driving because they wish that they were already at their destination, or simply because the scenery isn't moving as fast as their brain thinks it should.
