ABSTRACT
Bipolar disorder, once considered an easily treatable illness, is a severe, recurrent mental illness that often poorly responds to treatment. Bipolar patients spend nearly 50% of their lives with symptoms (Judd et al., 2002). Because the illness frequently begins in adolescence or early adulthood, it has dual consequences—the burden of the illness and the ravaging effects on normal development. Patients with bipolar disorder must accept that they have a chronic illness, which requires long-term pharmacological treatment. Childbearing and career choices are also impacted by the diagnosis.
