Bipolar disorder formerly called manic depression is a common condition affecting around 1 in 100 adults at some point in their lives. Worldwide it affects about 254 million people with 2.4 million in the UK. The exact nature of someones illness will be unique to them. These moods typically swing between low or depressive with feelings of intense unhappiness and despair and high or manic with feelings of supreme confidence euphoria and boundless energy. Having bipolar disorder can be a frighteni