From Past to Present: A History on Treatment of Bipolar Disorder

Strange as it may seem, the terms “bipolar” and “unipolar” were not even used until 1957. If you look at the history on treatment of bipolar disorder, you can see that it is only recently that the term “bipolar disorder” has been coined to represent what has always been a misunderstood condition. History tells us that the ancient Greeks knew about it, and the ancient Chinese talked about it in one of their encyclopedias.

Having a look at the history on treatment of bipolar disorder can certainly lead to an understanding and appreciation of the many advances being made in the field today. It also provides a strong basis of hope for progress that will be made in the future.

Bipolar Disorder Through The Ages

With the exception of the ancient Greeks and Chinese, very little research was done into the history on treatment of bipolar disorder until the 1950s. “Biphasic mental illness” was the term used in 1954, when two French scientists separately presented their theories about recurring cycles of mania and depression. One of these scientists, Jules Baillarger, called the illness “folie a double forme” (dual-form insanity), while the other scientist, Jean-Pierre Falret, talked about “folie circulaire” (circular insanity).

Emil Kraepelin was a German psychiatrist who lived from 1856-1926 and began studying the disorder more thoroughly. In 1902, Kraepelin monitored the natural progression of untreated bipolar patients. In his notes, he described the patients using the term “manic depressive psychosis.” This was the first time in the history of treatment of bipolar disorder that such a precise term had ever been used.

After World War II, Australian psychiatrist John Cade was the first to discover that lithium carbonate could be used to treat manic depressive psychosis. At this time, many experts feared that table salt substitutes were toxic or even fatal; thus, it wasn’t until the 1950s that American hospitals began to experiment with this knowledge. An important event in the history of treatment of bipolar disorder was reach in 1970, when Lithium was finally approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

In 1968, the condition was reclassified as an illness (manic depressive illness), but recently the term “bipolar disorder” has become more common. Many prefer the older term believing it to be a more accurate description of the condition as an illness rather than a disorder.

Famous Bipolar Disorder Sufferers Through History

There were many famous people who displayed classic symptoms of bipolar disorder, even though they were never diagnosed or treated. These historical sufferers of bipolar disorder include people such as Virginia Woolf, Theodore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Leo Tolstoy, Ernest Hemmingway, and Abraham Lincoln.

A Future That Looks Promising

There is no doubt that the hundreds of years spent researching, classifying, and treating bipolar disorder have yielded great progress. However, it looks as though there is still a way to go before a totally reliable cure becomes available. The great thing for bipolar sufferers is that the history of treatment of bipolar disorder demonstrates that great strides can be achieved in a short period of time.