A manic depressive disorder is a psychiatric disorder which is defined by episodes of mood changes. Another more used name for it is bipolar disorder. Although there are several treatments that can reduce the symptoms, you can not be healed from it. With medication and cognitive treatment patients are able to live a normal life as long as they are faithful to their treatments.
Manic Depressive Disorder Causes
Scientists do not exactly know how bipolar disorder develops in patients but it is a different process compared to depression. It is probably a genetic disorder but it is not triggered by stressful life events as is the case with depression. People who live alone, live in a big city and who use drugs and alcohol frequently have an increase risk on the development of manic depressive disorder.
Symptoms
Both males and females have the same risk to develop this disorder. It is defined by episodes where the mood is likely to change strongly between extremely happy (mania or hypomania) and extremely down (depression). Between these episodes the mood is often ‘normal’ and patients can function properly in social activities. An episode can hold on for a few days up to a few weeks.
Diagnosis
It is very difficult to diagnose someone with bipolar disorder because either the symptoms are not serious enough or it is recognized as a full blown depression. Because patients will only visit the doctor when they feel really down and not when they are very happy, doctors are likely to believe it is a depression instead of a bipolar disorder. When they notice that the medication is not working they will get triggered to do more research. On average the diagnosis of bipolar disorder is given 6 years after onset of the disorder.
Treatment options
You can not get healed from this disorder but if you take your medication and you have a treatment plan where you frequently visit your psychiatrist than you are able to live a normal life. Many patients start to recognize their own symptoms and can prevent a new episode in that way by seeing their psychiatrist or doctor first.
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