Bipolar disorder, formally known as manic-depressive illness, is a serious medical condition. Someone with bipolar disorder has extreme episodes of mania, or being very "up" or energetic and active, and episodes of depression, or being very "down" and sad. Changing hormones during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause can affect how severe a woman's bipolar disorder is, menstrual cycle conditions (like premenstrual syndrome) are not the same as bipolar disorder.