Your alarm didn’t go off and you’re late for work.
Accounting had a glitch in the system and your check wasn’t deposited.
Your best friend told you at the last minute you’re not invited to her wedding.
Ouch.
Everyone has bad days. And it’s normal to feel angry, upset and really bummed out for awhile.
Depending on how severe the issue is, such as a death in the family, it’s totally appropriate to go through a grieving period and maybe even a bout with depression.
But what if it’s different? What if what you or a loved one is going through isn’t just depression, but manic depression?
Depression is depression, right? Wrong.
It’s really easy to confuse manic depression with clinical depression — especially since both terms contain the word “depression.”1
Someone suffering with clinical depression experiences really low points, extreme sadness, easily cries, has no interest in fun activities, zero energy and basically just feels hopeless.
However, someone with manic depression not only has to fight clinical depression, they also have times when they’re really happy and feel on top of the world. Yet, they also have racing thoughts, talk too fast, get little sleep and can become easily irritated.
Because manic depression includes clinical depression, it’s easy to see how the two often get mixed up. To minimize confusion, manic depression is now known as bipolar disorder. According to Psych Central:
Bipolar disorder, also known in some parts of the world by its older name of “manic depression,” is a mental disorder that is characterized by serious and significant mood swings. A person with this condition experiences alternating “highs” (what clinicians call “mania“) and “lows” (also known as depression). 2
Manic depression affects more people than you may realize.
Before you dismiss manic depression as “another person’s problem,” someone you know could be battling this disorder. In fact, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, millions of adult Americans are affected each year, which turns out to be about 2.6% of the population. 3 Because so many people are dealing with it and the numbers continue to grow, it’s important to understand as much as possible about this disorder.
Also, dealing with a friend or family member can be tough if you don’t know what to expect or how to proceed with…
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