Manic Depression

Manic depression is a common form of mental disorder; the affected individual is affected by extreme mood swings and extreme behavior. The individual may be affected by recurrent periods of depression, or might be affected by alternating phases between manic behavior and a downright mental depression. The manic phase is the "high" mental state, in this phase the affected individual may be extremely enthusiastic about things, he or she is very self-confident in behavior, a hyperactive reaction is very common at this stage, and the person sometimes displays very reckless behavior and mannerisms. The affected individual will swing to the reverse pole during the "low" or depressive stage of the condition, at this depressive stage the patient is very subdued and unable to connect his or her thoughts to the positive aspects of living, in this phase of the condition, the patient is often consumed by extreme feelings of anxiety and very persistent guiltiness. A doctor must be present at all stages of the treatment of the manic depressive individual.

Supplements and herbs

Depression as a condition has been known to be caused by the development of a number of nutritional imbalances within the body of the individual. In order to avoid imbalances in the diet, the dietary regimen must include a balanced and nutritionally fulfilling meals where a lot of whole-grain and cereals are combined with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables-which are preferably taken raw. Diets must also use only low-fat meat, fish, and different kinds of dairy products.

People suffering from manic depression can possibly benefit by using the dietary supplements given below.

Essential nutrient supplements such as the vitamins, minerals and other organic chemicals must be added to the diet. The dosage can include a gram of vitamin C every day, along with twenty five mgs of the vitamin B-complex every day, along with the essential mineral magnesium at five hundred milligrams also every day. The organic chemicals such as the amino acids including the DLPA (D, L-phenylalanine) must be taken at four hundred milligrams every day, the patient may also benefit from doses of L-phenylalanine taken at one hundred to five hundred milligram supplements every day. These supplements must be used over the long term to alleviate the manic depressive state of the affected individuals.

For your information: individuals suffering from elevated or high blood pressure must not take these supplements as side effects are possible.

The herbal remedies made from the St. John's wort herb have been successfully used in the alleviation of the symptoms arising from anxiety and depression, the herb has also been used to boost low self-esteem in individuals. The quality of sleep in the affected individual is markedly improved when the herbal remedy is used as a supplement. Dosage of this herbal tincture should be one quarter to three quarters of a teaspoon mixed in some water; the remedy must be taken thrice every day to bring some relief to the manic depressive.

What else you can do

Alternative therapies which involve talking about the issue, such as community counseling, sessions of psychotherapy, or psychoanalysis, can be extremely beneficial to the manic depressive individual and help him or her deal in a better way with the symptoms and other effects of the condition. It is also important and beneficial if the affected person receives a lot of social support and emotional help from other individuals suffering from manic depression. Mood disorders are often alleviated by undertaking physical exercise regimens and many studies have shown that such exercises can induce extremely beneficial effects on the person-especially in alleviating the depression and giving the person a positive outlook on life. The person must participate in regular exercise programs lasting at least thirty minutes of aerobic activity, at least thrice every week, this is the recommended regimen-at the same time, daily physical exertion will be much more beneficial. The affected individuals can also benefit through the use of alternative healing techniques which are aimed at reducing stress, these can include sessions of massage by a professional masseur, techniques such as yoga, all sorts of meditation techniques, the use of aromatherapy, and acupressure, such alternative techniques are extremely helpful in alleviating the deep anxiety which is very commonly observed in individual affected by the condition. The affected person must also undertake to avoid compounds such as caffeine-found in beverages like tea and coffee, foods like chocolate, and cola drinks, the use of alcohol must be avoided or restricted to small amounts. Biochemical tests are used by some naturopaths in order to determine the existence of mineral deficiencies within the body; these deficiencies may also contribute to the persistent depression felt by manic depressive.