Some information about depression and mania

Depression is a condition comprizing both psychological and bodily symptoms. The common change behind these symptoms is a reduced activity in parts of the central nervous system. Depression can be just a minor plague, but can also be very serious and invalidizing.

What is depression

The mains symptoms of depression are:

- Low mood level or sadness.

- Lack joy or interest in activities that were joyful before.

- Pessimism.

- Feel of guilt of something without any substantial reason to feel so.

- Irritability

- Slowness in the thought process

- Slowness in interpreteing sensorial stimuli.

- Slowness of digestion or other internal physical processes, and symptoms caused by this slowness, for example inflated stomack, constipation or difficulties by urination.

- Slow physical reactions.

By depression there is a decrease in the amount of neurotransmittors in the central nervous system, mainly cerotonine deficiency, or the nerve cells do not react properly by stimulation from neurotransmittors. A neurrotransmittor is a signal substance that transmits the nerve signal through the junctions between two nerve cells. This deficiency causes a general slowness in the nervous system and this again causes the depressive symptoms.

However, this deficiency may have many original causes, and there are accordingly many types of depression.

What is mania

By mania the symptoms are the directly opposite of depression. There is a heightened mood level. There is also an increased mental activity and a as a result from this usually a higher physical activity and agitation. There is often a lack of sleep. The activity is however often uncritical and prone to errors, and a higly manic person can easily set himsele in difficult situations. Periods of mania can interchange with periods of depression, and elements of depression can exist together with elements of mania. Some psychologist or psychiatrists regard mania as a psychodynamic reaction against depression and call it denial of depression.

Mono-polar depression

Mono-polar depression is a disease where depression is the main symptom complex. Often one cannot find a specific reason for the disease. Inheritance may be a causing factor, long lasting strain or stress another.

Bipolar disorder

This is a disease where the symptoms are swinging between depression and the opposite, mania which gives a heightened mood level and an increased activity. If this increased activity is of serious level, it is called manic. Bipolar depression or bipolar disorder was formerly called manio-depressive disease.

Often one cannot find a specific reason for the disease. Inheritance may be a causing factor, long lasting strain or stress another.

Manic disorder

By manic diorder mania is the main symptom, and there is no transicion between manic and depressive periods. However, some experts regard manic disorder simply as a bipolar diorder where the depressive state has not yet occured.

Depression from stress and straining

Depression may simply be a result from psychological stress, physical struggle or mental straining without proper rest over a long time period.

An explanation can be that the straining simply wears out the nervous system or deplete the organism from nutrient neccessary for the nervous system to work properly.

Another explanation for the depressed state in such circumstabces may be that the capacity of the central nervous system is nearly totally occupied by general allertness and certain aspects of the actual situation, and other activities simply slow down because of lack of capacity.

his kind of depression can sometimes simply be treated with a period of rest, by slowing down the activity level and by furnishing the body with extra nutrients. However, this kind of depression my be more complicated and serious, and may also require specific medical treatment.

Depression by physical disease

Depression may be a symptom of physical disease or a subsequent consequence of these, especiallt diseases of the following categories:

- Diseases that give a systemic chemical imbalance or systemic depletion of nujtrients.

- Diseases with long lasting pain that stresses the nervous system.

Diseases often assosiated with depression are: Heart disease, Parkinson's disease, Stroke, Hypothyroidism, Hypertention, Cushing's syndrome.

Mononucleosis or flu may trigger depression that continues after the infection has gone.

Depressive symptoms as a consequence of an unsound lifestyle

A general unsound lifestyle with too less exercise, too high consume of alcohol, coffee or tea, too less of important nutrient and too much of sugar and fat may give depressive symptoms, as well as physical problems.

Winter depression or dark time depression< In countries where there is a great difference beween the summer and winter, the darkness in late autumn and winter can lead to depressiohn by some individuals.

Treatment of depression

- Some simple measures are allways necessary by depression, these are:

- To slow down a stressful life with too much work or activities.

- Enough rest and sleep.

- A good diet with enough of necessary nutrients.

- Some physical exercise

Sometimes these measures are enough to turn the situation around and get rid of the depression. However, the depressive state may be so serious or complicated that specific medication is also necessary.

Medicines used against depression, generally increase the level of neurotransmittors in the central nervous system, or they mimic the neurotransmittors.

By manic symptoms one uses sedative drugs to slow down functions in the central nervous system.

There are also natural drugs against depression and mania. Natural drugs against depression are based on herbs that have shown to be effective in stimulating nervous function through a long traditional use. Natural drugs against mania are based on drugs with a long traditional use to tranquilize an upset and distraught mind.

These natural drugs also typically contain vitamins, minerals and bilogical work sunstances that the nervous syetm uses as tools in it normal function. These ingredients support a stable function of the nervous system.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This information is nutritional in nature and should not be construed as medical advice. This notice is required by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.