So many sides to this coin...Manic Depression is one of the most horrible illnesses anyone can go through....the manic side is genius, pure unadulterated genius...ideas and talent flowing so strong and fast it's like heaven on earth, the high of all highs..Then it cycles and it is this emptiness not earthly problems we all face that sends someone into the depths of hell and blackness...they become addicted to drugs and alcohol trying to duplicate the highs but it doesn't work...
My dad had this form and it was scary growing up never knowing which side would be there. There is a tv series that is hard to watch but I find very compelling having dealt with this. It is "Black Box"...If you can be open and non judgmental of her you can gain valuable insight.
I too suffered from depression most of my life...until of all things a neurosurgeon did some blood tests. Don't think anyone before had ever checked the B-12 levels in my blood...Somehow my body doesn't produce the enzyme needed to convert it...I started taking the shots because that is the only way of absorbing it and I have been depression free for the last several years...sure I get, mad, sad and all the other emotions but not the dark side as it was before. Our mdr in this country is set too low for B-12...ours is 180 min...in Japan it is 600...quite a difference. Won't work for everyone but sure worth a simple blood test to see.
My heart goes out to all those who suffer....the ones with the illnesses and the ones who love them...