Bipolar disorder, formerly known as manic depression, is a condition that affects a person’s moods, which can swing from one extreme to another.
People with bipolar disorder have periods or episodes of:
Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder depend on which mood the person is experiencing. Unlike simple mood swings, each extreme episode of bipolar disorder can last for several weeks (or even longer), and some people may not experience a "normal" mood very often.