This landmark work, based on years of systematic clinical trials and observations at the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) and elsewhere, is the definitive clinical resource on patients with difficult-to-treat bipolar disorder. In the most comprehensive compendium to date, Post and Leverich, both veteran clinicians and expert researchers on bipolar disorder, take a broad, long-term view of the illness rather than simply looking at the short-term manic episodes that so traditionally typify the disorder. In doing so, they present and authoritative primer on the life course and treatment of bipolar disorder, including issues of remission, recurrence, and the nuances so critical to effective clinical decision-making in protracted treatment. Presenting over 60 individual case studies covering a broad range of patients and treatment approaches, Post and Leverich equip clinicians with countless examples to draw on when working with patients in their own practices.