Depression can be incredibly hard to live with; it permeates every part of a person’s life and leaves them feeling very low and unable to cope with day to day life. Most people will have an encounter with depression during their life and most people cope with it and move on without any problems. For people with bipolar depression life can be quite different.
Bipolar depression tends to come in cycles which are mixed with periods when the sufferer feels intense highs. During these highs bipolar depression is forgotten and the person might feel invincible and this can lead to other problems. When someone who is bipolar is in the middle of a bipolar depression period they tend to go into a deep depression, their sleeping patterns can be affected, they may lose their appetite, they lack motivation and their personal relationships can suffer. If the bipolar depression episode is particularly intense they may even contemplate suicide, so it is essential that they learn effective ways that will help them to live with bipolar depression.
Firstly it is important to try to get bipolar depression under control as this will make life slightly easier for the sufferer. This should be done by getting medical advice and treatment to stabilise the moods of the person with bipolar disorder. Medication to control bipolar depression can be prescribed and many people with bipolar disorder find that this is a huge step forward for them. They will still have periods or episodes of bipolar depression but with the correct medication and management these can become less frequent. By lowering the frequency of these periods, a person who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder can deal better with them.
As well as medication, another good way to learn to live with bipolar depression is by attending cognitive behavioural therapy sessions which can help a person to pinpoint triggers for their depression. When a person is able to pinpoint these triggers they can then either try to avoid these types of situations, or if they are unavoidable, learn strategies to cope and lessen the impact of bipolar depression when it strikes. Obviously, this type of treatment is not suitable for everyone but many people do benefit from it and it is worth taking a look at if you suffer from bipolar depression.
Exercise can also play an important role in living with bipolar depression as it encourages the production and release of endorphins, a natural chemical that the body produces when it is happy. This also occurs when a person exercises – so it is a good idea for those people who suffer from bipolar depression to take regular exercise as it will benefit them.
Some people also advocate alternative treatments such as taking up yoga or meditation as it allows the bipolar depression sufferer to relax and learn further coping mechanisms. Whilst not everyone would agree, those people who do practice yoga or meditation do find that it improves their mood and general wellbeing which is both useful and valuable.

Postnatal depression is estimated to affect 1 in 5 women and is found in all cultural, social and age groups. There are different types of this condition experienced by mothers after birth. There is the ‘Baby Blues’ which usually occurs between the 3rd and 5th day and usually resolve by the 10th day. It is thought to be the response to hormone changes and the stress of giving birth and occurs in up to 70% of women.

Postnatal depression has a gradual onset between the 3rd and 9th month. Postpartum Psychosis occurs in approximately 1 in 500 births and is quite rare. It seems to be genetically linked and typically occurs after the first baby. It presents as a manic depressive illness and requires urgent psychiatric treatment. Read the rest of this entry

I was diagnosed with Manic Depression about three years ago. I stopped taking the meds after six months because I didn’t like what they do to me.

I have been having difficulty with my MD a lot lately–it’s been worse. Mood swings for no causes whatsoever. I was googling some alternatives to prescribed medication for Manic Depression and everything that came up was Bipolar disorder.

I knew that the two were similar–but are they really the same thing?

Depression can be very difficult to live with, it can leave you feeling as though you have nothing to look forward to, every tasks seem impossible to complete and you can find it hard to get up in the mornings. Everyone feels depressed from time to time but when it gets so bad that you are struggling to cope it is time to find out more about depression treatment.
One of the first things that you should do if you are feeling depressed is to visit your doctor who will be able to speak to you about how you are feeling and go on to suggest possible depression treatment. As depression and its severity varies from person to person there could be more depression treatment options than you thought. For some people the best initial depression treatment is medication, if the symptoms are very severe. In fact, sometimes if the depression is mixed with highs the doctor may suspect bipolar disorder and if this is the case the correct depression treatment and bipolar treatment will be prescribed.
If a person is just suffering from depression alone the depression treatment could take one of several forms. There are two main types of medication which are given for depression treatment and these are SSRIs and Tricyclics. SSRIs raise the level of serotonin within the brain and this is the chemical that is produced to lift a person’s mood, this type of depression treatment is widely prescribed as the results are very positive. Tricyclics are another form of depression treatment which also work to raise the levels of serotonin in the brain, they also raise the levels of noradrenaline and this can further help to lift the mood.
Medication is not the only form of depression treatment and many people find that in addition to antidepressants psychiatric sessions can also help. These usually take the form of 45 minute long appointments where the person with depression can talk through their symptoms and find out more about the depression treatments that are available to them. Often a psychiatrist can give a better diagnosis of the severity of depression and engage the sufferer in cognitive behavioural therapy which can have excellent results.
In very extreme cases a person with depression will need to be admitted to hospital to receive more intense depression treatment. At these times the person with depression may be unable to eat, they may withdraw into themselves and feel totally isolated from the world. When depression gets to this stage it is imperative that the correct depression treatment is started and as quick as possible.
Complimentary medicines are also now widely used as an effective depression treatment and many people turn to these in times when they feel low or depressed. It is always wise however, if you are already taking medication for depression, that you make sure that complimentary medicines such as St John’s Wort do not interfere with them. If it is fine to take them, complimentary medicines can be a useful and worthwhile depression treatment in conjunction with other forms of treatment.

I am 10 weeks pregnant. My boyfriend is taking medications. What are the chances of my unborn child having the same illnesses? Thank you.

Researchers have long studied the relationship between bipolar disorder and sleep in manic depressive patients. The intense manic and depression episodes clearly impact the quality of sleep and the amount of sleep that the bipolar person receives on a nightly basis.

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I have reworded a question I asked last week to make it a bit more clearer. Unfortunately I was unable to get any good answers because I probably did not explain exactly what my condition is.

Has anyone that is bipolar (manic depression) ever been on the combo of Lamictal for manic depression and Invega which helps with depression that creeps up while on Lamictal?

genetically, what are the chances i will develop any of these?

What causes death from Bipolar Depression?
There is this guy who died from bipolar depression! He use to go to my sister’s college! Last week my sister saw him in college and he was talking to his friends and he was fine!

boarderline personality disorder? How does one determine if they have one of these disorders or if they are just suffering from depression and anxiety?