Bipolar-Manic, originally uploaded by mother of divine Jaysus.

Mania is a severe medical condition characterized by extremely elevated mood, energy, unusual thought patterns and sometimes psychosis

The majority of people with bipolar disorder believe that the public are unaware of and do not understand the condition. As a result, as many as one in four do not tell family or friends they have it for fear of social stigma, the results of a major new survey have revealed.

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a severe and chronic condition. Those affected experience sustained high moods, followed by periods of sustained low moods. High moods can see the person feeling elated and needing less sleep. Low moods can range from mild to severe depression.

Almost 40,000 people in Ireland have the condition.