Why treat mania?

I've been reading up on the medications for bipolar like lithium and depakote. The only thing is their purpose is to treat the manic symptoms of bipolar disorder. Well what about depression? It seems that if you eliminate mania and just leave depression then you're taking away all the happiness.

its a very brittle happiness...

Unfortunately, the depression symptoms in bipolar don't respond to antidepressants as well as the mania symptoms respond to their meds.

"Happiness" is not the opposite of depression or the result of antidepressants. Not feeling depressed is the goal. That's just run-of-the-mill, day-to-day "normal". One is supposed to respond to other people and events as they happen, not have an all up or all down experience of life. There should be a "base" and one responds up and down, etc. from there. It's like zero on a number line with negative numbers that are very high or "stuck" being depression and positive numbers too high, mania. The "roller coaster" shouldn't be very extreme, very often. Yes if someone close dies you should be an extreme negative or if you win the lottery :-) an extreme high but it shouldn't "stick" or otherwise cause problems (plummeting instead of gradually deflating, for example).

But with bipolar, the degree of negatives and positives aren't necessarily the same; someone may only go to -5 but their mania may be +8 and, getting the +8 down is "worthy" even if it leaves the -5 because you're assuming the +8 with meds goes to the -5 instead of close to 0, the "goal" of treatment. If, for the sake of argument one has six months of -5 and six months of +8, treatment for mania would change that to six months of -5 and six months of +1 :-) which is "better" for one's chemical makeup. Yes, +8 might "feel" real good but burning up the circuits before their time is not a good idea? "Burning the candle at both ends" is a good description, to me, of bipolar and if you can snuff out one end, it's not ideal but at least "better" until the other end can be more researched and helped?

yeah, mania isnt necessarily happiness. its having grandiose notions to start huge projects that never get finished. many people start spending money wildly and end up in massive credit card debt after just a few days. lots of people go into such a manic state that they think people are telling them to do things. its not like youre happy then sad, its more like there is never just a calm. youre either crazy with confidence and motivation or you want to die. theres no middle ground.

I suppose it depends on the levels you have personally.
If you find your depressive state of bipolar is worse than your manic state, it may be best to try to level out the depression. Whereas, if you're main problem is the Mania, that'd be the best one to eliminate.

Personally, I can't cope with either - depressive or manic, but if i had to choose, i'd say i find my manic state easier to deal with. But that may be because i don't seem to experience the mania quite as much as the depression, so it's over before it can start getting to me too much. a week or two of mania is nothing compared to months of depression.

*Shrugs* there are many opinions towards it. It depends on your ability to cope with each.

Kelly. x

I'm with you. My depressions are so much more destructive than my manias--overdosing, etc.

I think I have mostly hypomania & mixed as I do overspend, have reckless behavior, but nothing that is causing my family to fall apart (unlike the depression)--but boy, I feel GOOD when in the mania states & feel so BAD in the depression. So, of course, it is extremely difficult for me to give up the manias. I welcome the energy surges, the lack of sleep, the just sheer joy I feel.--Suzy

It depends though, because not everyones manic state involves elation. Like mine for example.

Kels xxxx

I wish they could treat the depression and leave the mania alone. I love the mania, I miss the mainia, wish it lasted longer.

I have read however that some people are very distructive while manic, spend a great deal of money they should not creating a situation that is difficult for themselves and family. That is not my mania.

Good article:

http://www.guidetopsychology.com/mania.htm

I am on Lithium and I am primarily depressed. I occasionally get hypomanic, but it is seldom and short-lived. Lithium is has been proven to treat severe depression. Also, a lot of psychiatrist will put you on a mood stabilizer to even out your moods and then add an antidepresssant.

Currently, I don't want to begin meds. I would hate that. yeah, my downs suck, but my ups are great! I get really hyper, and really happy, I act completely high, like a total idiot, but it feels GREAT. It can be dangerous, (spending, ect) but luckily, I'm 15 and my parents don't give me any money, so that's not an option even if I wanted to. Right now, all I have on me is a dollar, so if I was manic, the worse I would do would be to buy a candy bar. Not much of a big deal, if you ask me.
My depressions are worth my Mania, and If my parents or docs tried to force meds on me, I would most def. Tongue them (hide them under tongue and spit them out afterward) Yesterday I was depressed, and I'm feeling some manicness coming on, and I couldn't be happier. As I type I feel it growing I'm getting MANIC!!

*Runs around stupidly*

FINNAALLLYY!!!

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AAAAA said:
I wish they could treat the depression and leave the mania alone.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">I believe they can. Can you talk to your pdoc about this?