Opinion: People like me with bipolar disorder must help shape research and clinical care
Doctors have observed and treated bipolar disorder for thousands of years. Known throughout history by many names, like depression, mania, manic-depressive illness, or psychosis, the disorder is common and closely tied to that which makes us human: our thinking, our behavior, our hopes, and our ambitions.
A solid foundation of science grounds the understanding of bipolar disorder; what’s lacking are strong data about the experience of people with the condition. Small wonder, perhaps, that the greatest advancement in treatment is still the discovery of lithium therapy for it in 1949, despite all the strides in science and modern medicine made since then.
