Living a normal life: bipolar disorder

Professor James Potash explains that most individuals with bipolar disorder lead normal lives and respond well to lithium medication.

Yes, it is absolutely very possible for people with bipolar disorder to live normal lives, in fact roughly two-thirds of people with bipolar disorder respond extremely well to treatment. Lithium is still the medication that is most likely to help people with bipolar disorder, although there are a number of other medicines that are helpful too. The majority of people who have bipolar disorder are well most of the time; it’s a minority, maybe 15 percent who are chronically ill and who are quite disabled by the illness.