two-faced mental illness that affects approximately three million people all across America today. Bipolar is characterized by a cycle of mood swings between elation and extreme depression. The elation phase is called Mania and the depressive phase is called the Depressive phase.

Mania is the manic phase that is characterized by a euphoric or irritable mood that lasts at least one week. A manic episode is represented by change from a normal person to one that often interferes with work and personal relationships. Usually, Mania is the first episode in males. People experiencing a manic episode require hospitalization to return to a normal level of functioning. Symptoms of Mania include: excessive talking/pressured speech, an inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, distractibility, irritability and excessive involvement in activities with pleasurable activities or high potential for painful con-sequences. When patients experience the symptom of racing thoughts or ideas, they feel like they are tuned into two or three sets of televisions on at once which may cause a person to switch a topic from on conversation to another. When patients gain an infla

There are two main classifications of Bipolar Disorder. They are known as Bipolar I and Bipolar II. In Bipolar I, both phases of the illness, Mania and Depressive, are clear and shows. Bipolar I is diagnosed when a person has a manic episode and has not had any depressive episodes in the past. But, after the first manic episode occurs, depressive episodes come after. People with Bipolar II never have a full-blown Manic episode, but the Depressive episode is usually mild or severe to the extent where it is misdiagnosed as clinical depression. As a person becomes older, recurrences of Bipolar I or Bipolar II tend to come more frequently and last longer.

In most cases of Bipolar Disorder, it can be treated successfully. Lithiucarbonate, an alkali metal, was discovered in 1817 and is used to treat many illnesses including Bipolar. In the 1880’s, lithium was prescribed for repeated depressive symptoms and now it the most widely used treatment for Bipolar. Another type of treatment for Bipolar is electroconvulsive therapy. It is done by passing an electrical shock through the patients forehead. Although some thought that it was unusual, electroconvulsive therapy has been successfully used to treat Bipolar for over 50 years. It is not a permanent cure, but over 80 percent have shown improvement through this method. With proper treatment, patients may return to normal. But that doesn’t mean that they are permanently cured. Treatment for Bipolar Disorder is not always effective. But Bipolar patients have a greater chance of leading more productive, happier live then in the past.

The second phase of Bipolar Disorder, the Depressive phase, is the most hazardous and unhealthful. A depressive e

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