Bipolar disorder has a long history as seen by the etymology of melancholia and mania came from Ancient Greece. The Greek physician Soranus, in 200 A.D. also acknowledged that melancholia may be a disease of mania but he also described both melancholia and mania as distinct illnesses with different causes. 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”.

It was only during the 1850s that a clear conceptualization of a manic-depressive condition was formed, considering the very long history of bipolar disorder. 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.

Another important moment in the history of bipolar disorder is when the term “manic-depressive psychosis” was coined by the German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin during the 1913. 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. After the World War II, John Cade. In the 50’s hospitals began to utilize lithium on their patients. However, Lithium was only approved as medication during the 70’s by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Despite the long history of bipolar disorder, it is only institutionalized in 1968 during the first revision of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-II). In the 1980 DSM-III revision, the term manic-depressive illness was finally changed to bipolar disorder.