This section provides you with all the background information you should know about bipolar disorder: what it is, the symptoms, the causes and some facts about people's experiences. It also contains some useful information for the friends and families of those with bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder is also known as manic-depressive illness. It is a brain disorder that causes alterations in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function.

The characteristics of bipolar disorder include both states of depression and also elavated states previously called mania. These are explained further in this section on symptoms.

When someone is in the middle of a manic episode for the first time they usually do not realise that there is anything wrong. It is often friends, family or colleagues who first notice that there is a problem.

Most people with bipolar disorder, even those with the most severe forms are able to achieve substantial stabilization of their mood swings and related symptoms with proper treatment. Because bipolar disorder is a recurrent illness, long-term preventive treatment is strongly recommended and almost always indicated.