When you are in the manic stage you feel very high, enthusiastic, unable to slow down, and very impulsive .You can have bad judgment and do things that you would never ordinarily do. This can cause severe problems with shame and embarrassment. You become very irritated if anyone suggests you calm down and slow up. You can feel nothing is impossible, have grand ideas, and think you have no limits. Then you enter a depressed period.

Symptoms of Manic Depressive Illness:

Not everyone who is depressed or manic has every symptom described. Some have few symptoms, some many more that aren't even listed. How severe the symptoms are varies from person to person and also varies as to the person's age.

Manic State is described as a person having:

-Abnormal or excessive enthusiasm unusual irritability

-Less need for sleep

-Unbelievable ideas

-Increased and fast talking

-Racing thoughts

-Increased sexual desire

-Acting out sexually

-Increased, amazing energy

-Bad judgment

-Socially unacceptable behavior

-Impulsive acts, considering no consequences

The Depressed state involves a person having:

-Constant sadness

-Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism

-Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness

-Loss of interest in formerly pleasurable activities

-Decreased interest in sex and difficulty with performance

-Decreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down"

-Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions

-Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping

-Appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gain

-Thoughts of death or suicide; suicide attempts

-Restlessness, irritability

-Persistent physical symptoms that don't have a cause.

Here's Mickey's story:

She's 46 and works in the personnel department of a mid sized company. Everyone likes Mickey and they call her 'magic Mickey' when she organizes all the flights and tickets and hotels for conventions. She laughs loud, dyes her hair a bright red, and has so much energy that she makes people tired just watching her. On her job everyone appreciates her 'give more than 100%' job attitude. Suddenly people at work start to notice Mickey is not just talkative, she can't stop talking. She tells her co workers that she thinks she could be president of the company and do a better job. She also is over the top in her flirty behavior with men in the office, telling them they don't know what they are missing, not having her sexually. Finally her boss calls her aside and tells her he thinks something is wrong and she needs to see a doctor. She explodes and slams out of the office, threatening to sue for discrimination. Her husband sees her come home out of control and asks her if she is taking her medications. She has stopped and refuses to take them. Her husband calls their doctor and he tells him to take her to the emergency ward. She has to be hospitalized for a week to get stabilized, be put back on medicine, and get back on an even keel. She feels humiliated that people at the office saw her that way. She wonders if she can go back to work there.

Jake has an equally bad story

He is 67 and sold his tool and die company for a nice profit. He and his wife are set financially and they live in a nice waterfront home in Florida. Jake loves to entertain and does much of the cooking himself. There is nothing he likes more than to have a large group of people to the house for a party. His wife knows that there is another side of Jake that most people never see. He can quickly become depressed and when he is, he turns mean and nasty. He has hit his wife many times throughout the marriage when he is going into a depressive state. She reminds him to take his medication because she knows it will keep him more even, less explosive. They throw a large party for the neighbors and Jake is doing his usual grilling while telling stories to everybody in the vicinity. He starts to get irritated when a new neighbor starts to brag about his new home, how much it cost, how much more he is going to spend. Jake starts to talk over this man but the man has had a few drinks and just keeps going. Jake's wife doesn't like what she sees on Jake's face but there is nothing she can do. Suddenly Jake flips a piece of meat off the grill onto the offending neighbor. The two men actually start to fight and have to be pulled apart. Jake cannot calm down and is screaming and threatening to kill the man. Someone calls the police. Jake pushes an officer and is handcuffed and taken to jail. Suddenly people are looking at him like a wild man who is losing his mind.

If you or someone you care about is suffering from manic depressive type symptoms, you need to get help. This is one type of depression which really is controlled by medication. If you get on the right meds with small side effects you can tolerate, you will have a wonderful life with no extremes.

Remember this. Depression is treatable. Instead of worrying about whether you are depressed, do something about it. Worry is constructive only if you push yourself to change things for the better. Only one in three people who are seriously depressed get help. Make sure you are in the minority group with this one.