Manic Depression from A-Z: "Rapid," "Risky," "Relationships" and "Regret"

I have been doing a series on manic depression using specific words to try and explain this most difficult illness. We have encountered "grandiosity," habitual," "abnormal" and "juvenile" among others. So far we have made it through the letter "Q." All aspects of manic depression are a problem. We are coming upon two letters that bring with them a lot of gravity.

The letters are "R" and "S." These letters start some words that dig deep into the condition of manic depression.

This article encompasses "risky," "reckless," "relationships" and "regret." These are words that are profound with respect to the impact on one's life.

Risk is something that is innate to manic depression. Manic depressive's don't consider the "risk" of their actions. They do what they want to do. Their thinking is not sound. It is "rapid" thinking. The mind whizzes at a pace that does not allow for completion of thoughts about actions let alone the consequences of an action. Two other words that play a role in this arena are "relationships" and "regret."

Let me try and use these four words in a scenario that might show how the manic depressive and those around him or her are affected.

Let us say that we have a male sales manager who gets an idea. The idea is as a result of a mania and doesn't let him sleep. That is all he can focus on. He is married. He must talk to his assistant sales manager who is a woman and also married. He won't wait until morning but must meet her "right now." He tells her the idea is going to make the company rich and they too will benefit.

Manic depressive's don't consider the risk when they do something because they act on impulse, rapidly. He hurries out without talking to his wife and picks up the assistant to go to the office and discuss the program. Once again not considering anything, our manager stops at a restaurant where he pounds out some points with the assistant. They have a couple drinks. It is very risky and dangerous under these circumstances to have a drink. However he does.

On the way home to drop the woman off he has a wreck and they are both injured. Their spouses are called. They come to the hospital where they are advised that the accident occurred because the sales manager was drinking. Frankly it looks like a date.

Two weeks later what we find is that the assistant manager bails with her comments and says she went because she felt if she didn't she would lose her job. Of course the manager "regrets" his actions. He has infringed on yet another "relationship." Now he will probably go into a depression.

Does this scenario sound far-fetched? It isn't. With manic depressive people it is a way of life. They are constantly creating their own problems only to have to turn around and apologize and in some cases and after repeated mistakes will lose their loved ones and even their lives.

I can attest to the fact it is a little like chasing your tail. And much like the puppy, you never catch it.

Reference: Personal Experience