It has not been until recently that the term ?bipolar disorder? has been used to represent what has always been a misunderstood condition. The ancient Greeks were aware of it, and the ancient Chinese had written about it in an encyclopedia. Yet, it was not until 1957 that the terms ?bipolar? and ?unipolar? were first used.

Learning the history of bipolar disorder helps us to both understand and appreciate the many advancements that have been made in the field today. Knowing about the history of the disorder will also provide us with hope for further advancements that are certain to come in the future.

From Ancient Descriptions to the Modern Day Disease

Excluding the ancient Greeks and Chinese, not much research was done in the history of bipolar disorder until the 1900s. In 1902, Emil Kraepelin, a German psychiatrist who lived from 1856-1926, began to study the disorder in more depth. Kraepelin monitored the natural progression of untreated bipolar patients. In his notes, he described his patients by using the term "manic depressive psychosis." This was the first time in the history of bipolar disorder that such a precise term had ever been used.

In 1954, two French scientists individually presented their theories regarding a ?biphasic mental illness? that consisted of reoccurring cycles of depression and mania. One of these scientists, Jules Baillarger, called the illness folie a double forme (dual-form insanity). The other scientist, Jean-Pierre Falret, referred to the condition as folie circulaire (circular insanity).

After World War II, an Australian psychiatrist named John Cade was the first to discover that lithium carbonate could be used to treat manic depressive psychosis. At this time during the history of bipolar disorder, many experts feared that table salt substitutes could be toxic or fatal. So, it wasn't until the 1950s that American hospitals experimented with this knowledge. Lithium was eventually approved for treatment by the Food and Drug Administration in 1970.

In 1968, the condition was reclassified as an illness (manic depressive illness). Recently, the term ?bipolar disorder? has become more common. Many prefer the older term because it more accurately describes the condition as an illness rather than a disorder.

Famous Sufferers of Bipolar Disorder In History

There were many famous people that displayed the classic symptoms of bipolar disorder, even though they were never diagnosed or treated. These historical sufferers of bipolar disorder include Virginia Woolf, Theodore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Leo Tolstoy, Ernest Hemmingway, and Abraham Lincoln.

A Promising Future

Though it took hundreds of years to research, classify, and treat bipolar disorder, we still have a long way to go before a cure can be found. Yet, the history of bipolar disorder provides the hope that long strides can be made in just a short period of time.