The History of the Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a chronic condition that makes people feel incredible highs but also severe lows and depression.

Bipolar Population

• Bipolar disorder is linked to genetics, but is also affected by environmental factors. People with bipolar disorder make up about 4 to 6 percent of the population and those with a full blown case of the disorder make up 1 percent.

Historical Figures

• Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Leo Tolstoy and Virginia Woolf all displayed symptoms of the disorder. Those who recounted severe mood swings (but not necessarily bipolar disorder) include Issac Newton, Charles Dickens and Ludwig van Beethoven.

Beginning In Ancient Greece

• The disorder has its roots over 2,000 years ago in ancient Greece. Aretaeus from Turkey (Cappadocia) discovered some of the symptoms associated with bipolar disorder, mania and depression. In 1615, scientist Richard Burton was the first person to successfully study and understand depression.

The 1800s

• During the 1800s, Jean-Pierre Falret discovered the difference between these heightened moods or mania and depression. Falret's discovery eventually led scientists and researchers to use the term "bipolar disorder."

20th Century

• In 1952, an article was published by The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disorders linking bipolar disorder and genetics. During the 1980s, studies were done to try and determine the difference in the disorder in children versus adults.