Chapter 2, The Many Faces of Manic-Depressive Illness Summary and Analysis

There are many different classifications of manic depressive illness. The first, and the type that Patty Duke suffered, is Bipolar I. Bipolar I is marked by the classic highs and lows of manic depressive illness. The manias include a sense of euphoria, thoughts of grandiosity, and can accelerate into a psychotic mania that will include hallucinations and delusions. The manias also include wild spending sprees and sexual promiscuity. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the sufferers of Bipolar I experience deep depressions that might find them retiring to their beds for weeks at a time. The second type of manic depressive illness is called Bipolar II. This version of the illness does not include the psychotic manias that characterize Bipolar I.

The third version of manic depressive illness...