Both Schizophrenia and Manic Depression are lifelong mental
health disorders that affect a person’s ability to think and behave normally.
One can easily be mistaken for the other because of symptoms of both appearing
to be similar at first. What is important is a proper diagnosis for early
intervention and treatment.
If you or your beloved is struggling with the symptoms
of either of the two, seek immediate help. Treatment is the key to living a
healthy, fulfilling life. At Harlem East Life Plan, our inpatient programs
include medication, psychotherapy, and education to help you manage your
symptoms and live your best life. The Harlem East Life Plan’s Mental
Health and Wellness New York City Center, is an outpatient counseling
program that assists an individual in developing a full range of life enhancing
skills.
Manic
Depression, also called bipolar disorder is characterized by
extreme mood swings with periods of normal energy in between and is typically
diagnosed in a person’s teens or early 20s, but the condition can appear at any
time.
Symptoms- High
energy levels, decreased sleep, inappropriate social behavior, increased
activity, easily distracted, excessive talking speed or volume, reckless
behaviour, unusually irritable, increased sense of well-being. These are the
symptoms when a person with manic depression is having a manic or hypomanic
episode. Depressive episodes also cause significant interruptions in a person’s
career and relationships with some symptoms being difficulty sleeping or
excessive sleeping; feelings of worthlessness and excessive guilt; difficulty
thinking, concentrating and making decisions; restlessness or sluggish
behaviour; a feeling of sadness, emptiness and hopelessness; loss of interest
in most activities and so forth.
Basically, manic depression can be broken down into
two types: mania and major depression.
Schizophrenia is
a serious mental health disorder that affects how an individual interprets
reality with roughly 1% of the United States population suffering from it.
Symptoms:
1.
The “positive” symptoms that refer to the presence of
symptoms may include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, confused
thoughts, unpredictable movements, etc.
2.
Negative symptoms where the word “negative” refers to
a lack of normal mental functioning may include not showing emotion, lack of
self-hygiene, struggling with basic activities, severe withdrawal, etc.
3.
Cognitive symptoms include reduced attention span,
reduced mental speed and reaction time, poor ability to absorb information and
problems remembering recently learned information. These symptoms are more
subtle and are detected with thorough testing.
Like we have already mentioned that manic depression
and schizophrenia share many similarities which necessitates thorough testing
and assessment of one’s detailed medical history for accurate diagnosis. Few
key differences include
1.
A person affected by manic depression often functions
well at work, school, and in social situations when not experiencing episodes
of mania or depression while individuals with untreated schizophrenia typically
struggle to maintain jobs and relationships and have difficulty functioning
day-to-day.
2.
A person with manic depression will be more expressive
with his or her feelings. On the contrary, someone with schizophrenia will be
unable to show emotion, lack facial expressions, and speak with a flat tone.
Contact Us:
Harlem East Life Plan
Full Address:
2367-69 Second Avenue New York,
NY 10035
Telephone: 212-876-2300
