Most literature on bipolar disorder refer to two main approaches to treatment: a biological apprach using medications and a psychosocial approach using therapy. Studies have shown that both approaches used in tandem offer the best success for long term managment of bipolar disorder.

The first time bipolar disorder was described as a specific condition all its own, separate from the other forms of "hysteria" and "melancholia" was in 1851, when French psychiatrist Jean-Pierre Falret described what he called folie circulaire, or "circular madness" in which patients cycles through depression, mania, and a period free of disorder.

Mood stabilizing drugs and medication can be ineffective in up to 40% of classic bipolar patients. As a result, there has been an increase in interest in developing psychological and behavioral therapies for bipolar disorder (to be used in combination with medications).

People with bipolar disorder experience unusually intense emotional states that occur in distinct periods called "mood episodes." An overly joyful or overexcited state is called a manic episode, and an extremely sad or hopeless state is called a depressive episode.   While it is normal for everyone to go through ups and downs, it is the severity and duration of the mood related symptoms that determine the diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. These shifts are different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through from time to time and they may have nothing to do with what is going on in someone's life.