A learning experience

Last week we were given a particular task for a language class. We have to prepare an oral presentation about any issue in which we were interested of. It took me some time to decide what to talk about since there were several interesting topics rounding in my mind.
Finally, I made my decision and I chose a topic based on a personal experience I had with one of my friends five years ago.
Everything seemed to be all right in her life until that day when she told us she heard voices in her head. Then, all in a sudden, she decided not to talk with us; not even receive a phone call from us. According to her sister, she spent hours looking at the black TV screener. Even her parents did not know exactly what was affecting her. She experienced a notable change in her mood and her illogical thoughts made me think she would be able to hurt herself.
After months of complete uncertainty, she was taken to a psychology who later derived her to the psychiatrist. She was declared of being suffering from "Bipolar Disorder"; an illness completely unknown for me at that moment. Nowadays, she still under psychiatrist treatment, but she was brave enough to temperate herself for her own sake.
Only when I finished the research about the matter, I was able to understand her behavior and the causer of it. Now, I think I can recognize any of the symptoms of the illness and make a former judgment concerning the issue.