Anne, a registered nurse, is known for her exuberant personality. Talkative, always having an interesting story to reveal, she automatically owns your attention. Someone meeting her for the first time is likely to be fascinated by this flamboyant woman whose liveliness makes her the "life of the party."

Only those she is close to know how excessive her moods are. Anne often goes off in too many different directions, making plans to take part in the local church bake sale, open her own lamp store, sew herself a new dress with original designs, all while dying her hair. She thinks nothing of picking up the phone and calling an old friend from high school at 3 A.M. since she needs practically no sleep. It doesn’t occur to her, however, that her friends do need sleep. She is known to spend money recklessly, buying expensive antiques or artwork to merely store them in her garage. She takes risks in her car, not realizing the consequences of her actions. A wild comedian, and colorful storyteller, she’s a virtual filing cabinet of advice on various topics that, in reality, she knows nothing about. This is a description of Anne during a manic phase.

Anne had been living with bipolar disorder for many years without diagnosis. During one of her manic episodes, she determined it was due time for cosmetic surgery. The doctors, required by law to do so, conducted both physical and mental tests on Anne. They noted an inconsistency in moods, but failed to see the underlying problem. The operation was performed, and she was sent home for recovery. She did not heed the doctor’s directions for healing, going about her day, in her usual ostentatious fashion. Her family came to visit her and a simple argument with them about directions to a store, set her into a fateful rage. She went into a major depressive episode which can occur with people who a have a bi-polar disorder. She was admitted into the hospital, and finally diagnosed.

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, often goes undiagnosed. It can run in families leading some researchers to believe that a genetic component to the illness is possible. Research is ongoing to try to identify the genes that may be responsible. Stressful life events can trigger the illness in some susceptible individuals, but the nature of the susceptibility is not clear. Manic phases can last anywhere from a few days to a few months. Bipolar disorder is a chronic disorder, but fortunately, there is treatment available.

The most common, and oldest treatment is the mood stabilizer Lithium. However, many other anti-depressants can also be prescribed. Individuals with a bi-polar disorder sometimes decide not to take their medications, saying that they are "feeling better." Some stop taking medications because they miss the elevated (manic) feelings that are one part of their disorder. They often go off medication meant to stabilize them in order to recapture that elevated feeling. We can all relate to the desire to be free from medications and to enjoy feeling energetic and full of life, like Anne did. Monitoring medications becomes a challenging part of working and living with people who have a bi-polar disorder.