July 1999 I had a first time manic episode probably due to a lot of stress. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder "manic depression" which is characterized by recurring periods of mania "shorter usually" and depression "longer usually." A few years before I was on Prozac for a year for unipolar "depression only" depression. With the bipolar disorder I was prescribed 3 types of prescription drugs and I gradually whittled down the drugs to one of each of both the mood stabilizer and the anti-depressant. I tried to quit the mood stabilizer a few times but couldn't due to feeling terrible "bad hangover to say the least kind of feeling" for several days. Under the care of a practitioner and also in my own following Jesus again spiritually and in reading the bible again and health and science, I was able to quit the medication cold turkey. --Anon.