This chapter discusses the discovery of lithium as an effective treatment for manic depression, now known as bipolar disorder. It explores the initial response to the research, the positive effects of lithium on patients, concerns about side effects and toxicity, and how further research and monitoring helped establish lithium treatment as the gold standard for bipolar disorder.
It’s the lightest metal on the periodic table. Its origins lie in the very beginnings of our universe. And it's taken, in the form of a pill, by thousands of Australians every day.
Join us as we dive deep into the story of this wonder element lithium — the magic ion, as it's sometimes called — and its remarkable impact on mood.
This episode was first broadcast on 28 March 2021.