The etymology of melancholia and mania came from ancient Greece. During 200 A.D., a Greek physician, Soranus diagnosed mania and melancholia as different illnesses with multiple causes but also acknowledged that melancholia may be a symptom of mania. In the meantime, another Greek physician Arateus of Cappadocia recognized both symptoms and contemplated if they are however related.
The history of bipolar disorder took a next major milestone during the 1650 when Richard Burton, a scientist, wrote the book The Anatomy of Melancholia wherein he discussed a great about depression. That work is considered as a classic today and many acknowledge him now as the “father of depression as a mental illness”.
Despite the long history of bipolar disorder, its clear conceptualization of manic-depressive condition was only formed in the 1850s. Jules Baillarger and Jean-Pierre Falret both presented a disorder that have the dual phase of mania and depression, and these two people have disputed as to who have conceptualized the condition first.
In 1913, another important moment happened for bipolar disorder when German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin coined the term “manic-depressive psychosis.”. He observed untreated bipolar disorder patients and concluded that the bouts of manic depression have intervals of symptom free periods where the individual can function normally.
Meanwhile, to treat patients with manic-depressive psychosis by lithium carbonate was initiated by Dr. John Cade after the World War II. In the 50′s hospitals began to utilize lithium on their patients. However, it was only in the 1970’s when the US Food and Drug Administration approved the use of lithium as a medication.
Bipolar disorder has been institutionalized only in 1968, despite its long existence in history dating back to 200 AD, after it was in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders first revision in 1968. In 1980, the revision of Diagnostic and Statistic of Mental Disorder changed the term manic-depressive illness to bipolar disorder.
