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Eric Jonasson doesn't think there will ever be a cure for bipolar disorder.

The man who has been hospitalized because of the mental illness and has gone through a range of medications that made him feel "mentally ill" said he suspects there will be a range of things that will help people suffering the effects of the mental illness but nothing that will cure it.

Karen Liberman, the executive director of the Mood Disorders Association of Ontario in midtown Toronto, agreed and said a person with bipolar disorder will likely require constant medication and vigilance, psychotherapy and support from family and friends.

But Dr. Roger S. McIntyre, head, mood disorders psychopharmacology unit, University Health Network, and associate professor of psychiatry and pharmacology, University of Toronto, said a cure may not be that far away.

"I think we are closer than we are further (away)," McIntrye said.

Once scientists find out the cause of mental illness then a blood test can be developed to find out if people have the gene for bipolar disorder or other mental illnesses.

McIntrye said while mental illness is hereditary - 80 per cent is genetic - one's environment also plays a part.

And while a person may have the gene for mental illness, they also require a trigger to set off an episode.

"In animal studies, trauma early in life affects the brain and how the body reacts to stress. We don't know the triggers, the catalyst (to set off a mental illness episode). An undefined percentage is genetics and environment, along (with) as some undefined catalyst."

What scientists do know, however, is that childhood trauma and the use of illicit drugs seem to exacerbate symptoms.

The "use of illicit drugs carries its own hazards. Drugs hasten the onset or unmask it."

In addition to staying away from drugs, McIntrye and Liberman both said people with bipolar disorder should have a great support system, be physically active and sleep well.

According to the Treatment of Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for Patients and Families by doctors David A. Kahn, Ruth Ross, David J. Printz and Gary S. Sachs, people with bipolar should also maintain a regular activity schedule and try to avoid working overly hard; try to reduce stress at work; and learn to recognize early warning signs of mood changes and get the help they need right away.