manic depression

From high to low. From exhilaration to despair. From wildness to apathy. These are the extremes associated with bipolar disorder, which can be a serious and disabling mental illness. The condition is also known as manic-depressive illness (from manias on the one extreme to depression on the other). Bipolar disorder affects a likely 1 percent to 5 percent of adults in the United States. It often begins in adolescence or early adulthood and may continue for life. …

…National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI). The NMHA is based in Washington, D.C., and has 340 affiliates in the United States. The group teaches the public and policy makers about mental health issues. The NAMI provides support and education to people with severe mental illness and their families. Founded in 1979, the group has more than 1,200 state and local chapters. The chapters rely on volunteers, most of whom have had mental illness in their families.