From the book - Man in the Trap The Manic Depressive Character (Genital Revenge Masked by Oral Strivings) Elsworth F. Baker, M.D.   The manic depressive is a phallic with an oral unsatisfied block. He differs from the chronic depressive in being less well integrated. He is unstable and volatile, flowing back and forth with wide mood swings from elation to a depression deeper than the chronic depressive’s and with more retardation. Characteristics and Symptoms Characteristically, this type is rotund, with a tendency to breadth rather than height; but he is agile, impatient, and intolerant. The body gives an impression of flabbiness and poor substance; the more the depressive characteristics dominate, the less rotund it is. Usually manic depressives are talkative and energetic, but changeable and with poor ability to persist at one task. The more manic they become the more restless, flighty, jerky, and pushy is their behavior, with increasing excitability and loud, boisterous, and boastful speech, frequently rude and vulgar. Their judgment is poor and their insight at best is only fleeting. They seem to have been wound up and let go without guidance. This condition may suddenly change to a hopeless, reproachful depression. All activity then becomes slowed, including speech, and the face appears sad and hopeless, the body seems to shrink, and the shoulders droop. This may increase to the point of immobility and total neglect of all bodily needs. In the manic phase, eating, drinking, and talking are excessive; in the depressive they may all be stopped completely. Compulsive symptoms may be present, especially when neither phase is too marked. One sees all degrees, from slight variations from normal to the extreme where hospitalization is necessary. In some individuals the depressive side dominates, in others the manic; while in still others the two alternate quite regularly. As the years pass variations tend to become more marked and longer in duration. Genesis The manic depressive has reached the phallic stage with an oral unsatisfied block. The oral craving tend to make him unstable, demanding, and intolerant. A sudden yielding of the block creates a manic phase. The body is unused to handling the increase of energy and, with the armoring present, the organism responds in a jerky, disorganized way. The manic is filled with elation from the newfound freedom and goes all out to satisfy the oral craving. At other times, holding increases to the point of stupor. Therapy One must watch for the possibility of suicide, both when the patient is going into and when he is coming out of a depression. As in the chronic depressive, the depressed phase requires immediate mobilization of energy through releasing the chest, but unlike the chronic depressive, the manic’s rage must be controlled because his poor judgment and expansive attitude may get him into a great deal of trouble.