I confess that I hadn't even been aware of the sterilizations and exterminations of the mentally ill during WW2, until I saw the German film "Never Look Away". It was only a side story in the movie, but an eye opener.

bluebicyle, it is sort of like the witchcraft trials. I know that people with epilepsy were also targeted.

BethRags, when I was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder, that psychiatrist referred to it as manic depression, a term I had also been unfamiliar with at the time. My knowledge about our disorder has increased incredibly since then. I remember as a teen, I suspected I had some mental illness, but wondered if I had schizophrenia - an illness I had been aware of. I also agree with you and Redfield-Jamison about the term manic depression. It seems to fit better even for mixed states.