A serious mental illness marked by violent and wild oscillations between extreme euphoria or irritability (mania) and deep
depression. Although it is technically classified as a mood disorder, it is one of the few psychiatric conditions in which psychosis occurs; it is usually associated with severe manic states but profound
depression may also cause delusions and hallucinations to emerge. The psychotic features are usually mood-congruent,
e.g., believing oneself to be Jesus Christ and Lucifer for mania and
depression respectively. It'
s an illness of extreme opposites in mood, thinking and energy levels and a severe mental disorder that, at least in its classic form, goes infinitely beyond what mentally healthy
people experience and most certainly not to be trivialised. It is also worth noting that the mood swings associated with this disease are sustained and typically last weeks or months, years in the most extreme cases. Ultra-ultra rapid cycling (extreme mood shifts in a day) is exceedingly rare.
