Bipolar disorder

Note on usage: "Manic-depression" was the original term used for the disorder. While it is still commonly used to refer to bipolar disorder, the term manic depression is also now used (by a relatively small number of mental health professionals) to refer to the entire clinical spectrum of mood disorders that includes both bipolar disorder and unipolar depression. Others are trying to phase out the term entirely.

Cycles in bipolar disorder

Kraepelin included in his description of Manic Depression the phenomenon that episodes of acute illness, whether mania or depression, are usually punctuated by relatively symptom-free intervals during which the patient is able to function normally both at work and in social affairs.

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The cycles of bipolar disorder may be long or short, and the ups and downs may be of different magnitudes: for instance, a person suffering from bipolar disorder may suffer a protracted mild depression followed by a shorter and intense mania. The manic episodes typically include euphoria, tirelessness, and impulsiveness; the depressed periods may seem much worse following a manic period.

Related Topics:
Manic episode - Euphoria

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