Bipolar disorder, also known as manic - depressive illness, is a type of psychiatric disorder characterized by abnormally elevated or depressed mood.

It has two main manifestations: the manic state and the depressive state. These two states can alternate intermittently and recur in the same patient, or the patient may mainly experience one state with recurrent episodes. It is cyclical and remittent.

During the intermission, the patient's mental activities return to normal, and there is no personality disorder, although there may be accompanying behavioral and thinking disorders.

When the patient shows an elevated mood during the onset, it is called mania; when the mood is depressed, it is called depression.

Active inpatient treatment is required. Under the guidance of a psychiatrist, the patient should take medications for mania, such as lithium carbonate, chlorpromazine, and clozapine, as well as antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, imipramine, doxepin, and clomipramine.

Other treatment methods, such as electroconvulsive therapy and psychotherapy, can also be used in combination.