This document began as a simple FAQ for alt.support.depression.manic, a newsgroup I created in early 1995 for people who suffer from any of the Bipolar disorders, for the people who care about them, and anyone else who wishes to learn more about Bipolar Affective Disorders. Since that time, a whole new sub-hierarchy has been created in soc. There are 6 newsgroups in the new soc.support.depression. The terms may be used interchangeably. Bipolar disorder is a mental illness, but it is more appropriately described as a neurobiological brain disorder involving extremes in mood.
Bipolar disorder is thought to be genetic.
The primary purpose of this site is to describe, in human terms, what it feels like to have bipolar disorder, and the effects of the illness on the lives of people who have it. These descriptions serve to enlighten those who have someone with bipolar disorder in their lives, and to validate the feelings of those who have the illness themselves. The site is constantly growing, and now includes a hyper-linked version of the bipolar FAQ as well as reviewed links to excellent sources of information and support for people with bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disorder is believed to be caused by imbalances of neurotransmitters in the brain. SSRIs, which affect neurotransmitter levels in the brain, are also effective.