Manic Depression Symptoms: The 4 Most Common Signs

People think of depression as a state of mind that makes one think of nothing but sadness. Since sadness is what one feels when depressed, depression is associated with lethargy, sluggishness and excessive sleeping. However, not all depressed people manifest these behaviors. Some exhibit manic depression symptoms whenever they get depressed. Here are things to look out for to know if you or a loved one is suffering from depression, cloaked by manic or hyperactivity.

Your Mind Is Racing

This is the most common complaint of manic-depressive patients. Their mind is racing, which they can not control. Unrelated thoughts barge into the mind in one blast, prompting a manic-depressive person to move around and about since they can not control the surge of images, ideas, and voices that form in their mind.

When the mind races, it is recommended that you find your "silent" spot, stay there and help yourself to calm your mind. You can do this with the help of a calming tea like chamomile that doesn't contain caffeine - caffeine contributes to a racing mind, so you must steer yourself away from it.

Heartbeat Is Fast

One of the most common manic depression symptoms is tachycardia or a racing heartbeat. Depression often goes with anxiety and when a person experiences anxiety attacks, his heart beats faster, more than 120 beats per minute.

This is the reason why correct breathing techniques are often taught to anxious and depressed persons. Heart rate does so many things in the body, which includes: manic behavior, racing mind and tiredness after the day ends. Other manic depression symptoms are heightened when the heart rate beats fast and remains uncontrolled.

When this happens, you need to breathe slowly and deeply as though you are meditating. If you don't think you can calm your heart down by yourself, help yourself by breathing through a paper bag. A paper bag regulates the rate of your breathing, and thus slows you as well as your heart down. Psychiatrists often recommend persons with anxiety disorder to breathe through a paper bag when the heart starts to palpitate.

Can't Seem To Stop When Doing A Task

When some people get depressed, they work and work and work or eat and eat and eat. This is a manic behavior. They can't control their depression and for them, the only way to make their day brighter is to do a task without stopping or they will only stop until such time that the feeling of panic or anxiety has subsided even just a little.

Don't you wonder why there are some people who get fat in 3 weeks time because they eat day in day out? These people eat a lot and can't stop doing it when they get depressed. They associate hunger with depression and fullness to happiness. The reason behind eating too much may have a history, but still, the thing here is that a depressed person shows manic depression symptoms.

Workaholics

On the other hand, some people may bury their head in a pile of work as a way of diversion. This is a manic depression symptom. Being workaholic may have an underlying cause and is not just because the person is too industrious. If you find yourself be working nonstop, try to cut down your work hours. This way, you are calming down your nerves and your mind.

A manic-depressive person releases a fight-by-flight hormone that is usually released only when we are in a tight situation that needs us to have heightened senses, faster mind processing and extra strength. However, if our body has this hormone working overtime because the person reacts too strongly to even small stressors, chances are great that the person will suffer from depression and will exhibit manic depression symptoms.

The manic depression symptoms outlined above are just few of the many and the most common symptoms that a depressed person exhibits. If you think you experience any of the above-mentioned symptoms or you notice a loved one exhibiting many or all of the symptoms aforementioned, you or a loved one may be depressed. And if you are, you must meet this psychological condition head on to recover fast without the help of medications. Better still, speak to your doctor to be sure.