Bipolar disorder, also known as bipolar affective disorder, manic-depressive disorder, or manic depression, is a mental illness classified by psychiatry

as a mood disorder. Individuals with bipolar disorder experience episodes of an elevated or agitated mood known as mania alternating with episodes of depression. Mania can occur with different levels of severity. At milder levels of mania, known as hypomania, individuals appear energetic, excitable, and may be highly productive. As mania becomes more severe, individuals begin to behave erratically and impulsively, often making poor decisions due to unrealistic ideas about the future, and may have great difficulty with sleep. At the most severe level, individuals can experience very distorted beliefs about the world known as psychosis. Individuals who experience manic episodes also commonly experience depressive episodes; some experience a mixed state in which features of both mania and depression are present at the same time. Manic and depressive episodes last from a few days to several months. About 4 of people suffer from bipolar disorder. !revalence is similar in men and women and, broadly, across different cultures and ethnic groups. "enetic factors contribute substantially to the likelihood of developing bipolar disorder, and environmental factors are also implicated. #ipolar disorder is often treated with mood stabili$ing medications and psychotherapy. In serious cases, in which there is a risk of harm to oneself or others, involuntary commitment may be used. %hese cases generally involve severe manic episodes with dangerous behavior or depressive episodes with suicidal ideation. %here are widespread problems with social stigma, stereotypes, and pre&udice against individuals with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. !eople with bipolar disorder exhibiting psychotic symptoms can sometimes be misdiagnosed as having schi$ophrenia. %he current term bipolar disorder is of fairly recent origin and refers to the cycling between high and low episodes 'poles(. %he term )manic*depressive illness) or psychosis was coined by "erman psychiatrist +mil ,raepelin in the late nineteenth century, originally referring to all kinds of mood disorder. "erman psychiatrist ,arl -eonhard split the classification in ./01, employing the terms unipolar disorder 'ma&or depressive disorder( and bipolar disorder.