Which is also called many depression is a mental illness that causes a disturbance in mood. The symptoms of manic depression can be severe enough to impact many aspects of the person’s life.
Symptoms Of manic depression can be emotional, cognitive, and physical. Some of the emotional symptoms include irritability, euphoria, and depression. People with bipolar disorder often have alternating episodes of euphoria or irritability and episodes of depression.
A decreased need for sleep, fatigue, changes in sex drive, changes in appetite, and fidgeting behavior are some physical symptoms of manic depression. The fidgeting behavior common during episodes of depression is clinically referred to as psychomotor agitation. During a depressive episode, the person may also experience slowed physical actions referred to as psychomotor retardation.
Due to changes in appetite, people with manic depression may lose weight or gain weight. The changes in sex drive can also be an increase or decrease from normal levels.
People experiencing a manic episode often sleep much less unusual because the mania causes them not to get tired like they normally do. Depression can cause the person to sleep much more than usual or for the person to have insomnia.
Manic depression causes many cognitive symptoms. During depression, the person may have perceptions of worthlessness and have difficulty concentrating. An increased focus on goal oriented activities, flight of ideas or racing thoughts, and distractibility are common cognitive symptoms of manic depression during a manic episode.
Manic episodes cause behavioral changes like seeking pleasure without consideration to the consequences. During a manic episode, a person may use drugs, have sexual indiscretions, or have spending sprees even if the person would normally never do those things.
While mania causes the person to seek out pleasure, depression inhibits the person from experiencing pleasure. During a depression, the person may lose interest in activities that they once enjoyed.
Psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions can be symptoms of manic depression. Hallucinations are sensations or visions not based in reality. Delusions are distorted thoughts that are unrealistic. The psychotic symptoms of manic depression are related to the mood disturbance of the person.
Mania may cause delusions of being superior to humans. Depression can cause voices telling the person to kill themselves which are auditory hallucinations. Suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts are potentially fatal symptoms of episodes of depression.