When was bipolar recognized as a true mental illness?
Bipolar disorder is perhaps one of the oldest known illnesses. Research reveals some mention of the symptoms in early medical records. Jules Falret in, 1854, led to the term bipolar disorder, as he was able to find a distinction between moments of depression and heightened moods. Francois Baillarger believed there was a major distinction between bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. In 1913, Emil Krapelin established the term manic-depressive. In the early 1970’s were laws enacted and standards established to help those afflicted, and in 1979 the National Association of Mental Health (NAMI) was founded. In 1980, the term bipolar disorder (1980) replaced manic-depressive disorder as a diagnostic term found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-III). During the 1980’s research finally was able to distinguish between adult and childhood bipolar disorder, and even today more studies are needed to find the probable causes and the possible method
