Manic depressive disorder is a serious mental illness that can leave a person down, isolated, and unable to maintain a job. Short term disability days due to depression alone cost Canada $2.6 billion in 1998. This is why it is so important to treat and deal with manic depressive disorder as early as possible. However, treating the condition can be difficult if you do not even know that you have it. Like any medical issue, there are symptoms of manic depression. Sadly, these symptoms are hard to spot in some people because manic depressive disorder is not all doom and gloom. Instead, there are times when someone with this condition will experience great joy and happiness, and there will be times where their sense of hopelessness it deep and profound. However, if you know which symptoms to look out for, you can definitely spot a person with this condition. The following are some of the more common symptoms of manic depressive disorder.
People with manic depressive disorder often move from mood to mood as if they were giving a person a handshake. If you know someone who can be happy one minute and then cold or sad the next, then this mental condition may be at play. The highs of manic depression are very high and the lows are very low. In the course of a single conversation, someone with this condition may experience a gauntlet of emotions and moods. This instability is what many friends and family members have a hard time communicating with someone who has manic depression.
Another sign of manic depressive disorder is if a person does not have a normal sleep schedule. There may be times when the person has to sleep for 17 or 18 hours at a time, and there may be times where the individual does not sleep for two or three days. This inability to commit and maintain a consistent sleep schedule is very common for those with manic depression. Additionally, one’s sleeping needs can change at a moment’s notice.
If you have manic depressive disorder, you may have a hard time controlling your impulses. Once you get an idea in your head, then you will feel as if you need or have to act on it. This is why so many people with manic depression drop out of school or change jobs at the drop of a hat. Many folks with the condition may not even be able to stay around the same friends, make plans, and may travel on whims.