The Treatment of Manic Depression, Now and Then The treatment of manic depression has changed through the years. This essaywill compare the view and treatment of manic depression in the sixties, to the view andtreatment now. The mental illness of manic depression, and it’s treatment and diagnosis,will be explained and detailed.Diagnosing manic depression has been a hard task for doctors. In the sixties,rarely were people treated, or even diagnosed for manic depression. It was not until thenineteen- seventies that Lithium, a mood stabler for manics, was introduced. Manicdepression was not easily detected. Most doctors attributed the dramatic mood swings topuberty or the state of adolescence. Most commonly, the patient was told to snap out ofit or given some form of an anti-depressant. Many people started to self medicate in thesixties with the various drugs that were floating around. There were medications andtreatments, but none specifically geared toward manic depression. The most commonmedications were Thorazine, various tranquilizers, Meprobamate (Miltown), Librium,and Diazepam (Valium). The most common treatment was psychotherapy or talktherapy. If your symptoms or actions were severe, most likely you were labeled mad orinsane and institutionalized. Even if you got better the stigma of once being insanehaunted you when trying to lead a normal life.Since the nineties, the diagnosing of mania has become increasingly easier. CT’sand MRI scans show abnormalities and changes in brain waves to aid in diagnosis. Mania is now treatable with Lithium, anti-convulsants, and therapeutic intervention. There are now support groups and other help for people. Many people are stillhospitalized, but the conditions are much better. People are no longer labeled as insane. It is an issue that many people are trying to understand. There are still those who areignorant, and the stigma of mental illness is still there.Manic d...
