The frequency and duration of bipolar cycles are as varied as the people who experience them. A change or "mood swing" can last for hours, days, weeks, or even months.
Bipolar disorder is an illness that produces dramatic swings in mood (amongst other symptoms). A person with bipolar disorder will alternate between periods of mania (elevated mood) and periods of depression (feelings of intense sadness). In between these two extremes, a person will have periods of normal mood.
A person may be happy at one point but could quickly shift to frustration, irritability, or anger after something happens to them. On the other hand, bipolar disorder daily mood swings are much more intense and can be much more difficult for a person to control.
People with bipolar experience both episodes of severe depression and episodes of mania – overwhelming joy, excitement or happiness, huge energy, a reduced need for sleep, and reduced inhibitions. The experience of bipolar is uniquely personal. No two people have exactly the same experience.
The duration of mood episodes varies from several days to several months, with usually a period of remission in between. The frequency of mood changes (cycling) also varies, with four or more episodes per year classified as rapid cycling.
Some people with bipolar disorder develop “rapid cycling” where they experience four or more episodes of mania or depression within a 12-month period. Mood swings can occur very quickly, like a rollercoaster randomly moving from high to low and back again over a period of days or even hours.
How quickly does a person with bipolar disorder shift between highs and lows? It depends. Mood shift frequency varies from person to person. A small number of patients may have many episodes within one day, shifting from mania (an episode where a person is very high-spirited or irritable) to depression.
Bipolar disorder is characterised by extreme mood swings. These can range from extreme highs (mania) to extreme lows (depression). Episodes of mania and depression often last for several days or longer.
A stressful circumstance or situation often triggers the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Examples of stressful triggers include: the breakdown of a relationship. physical, sexual or emotional abuse.
Stages of Bipolar Disorder. Bipolar disorder is characterized by mood episodes. These episodes include stages of depression and mania, but there are other stages involved in an episode. It's important to recognize the symptoms of each stage so your Mercy provider can help provide the right treatment.
Sleep, negative life events, drug and alcohol use, seasonal changes, the reproductive cycle, as well as goal attainment and positive events can all have a deleterious impact on your stability, triggering a destructive cycle of mood switching.
Bipolar disorder can cause your mood to swing from an extreme high to an extreme low. Manic symptoms can include increased energy, excitement, impulsive behaviour, and agitation. Depressive symptoms can include lack of energy, feeling worthless, low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts.
A 2020 study suggests that nearly 23% of those with bipolar disorder could be considered high functioning. If you have high functioning bipolar disorder (HFBD), you might be able to manage your bipolar disorder symptoms and complete your daily responsibilities and functions.
Brain Changes
Research shows bipolar disorder may damage the brain over time. Experts think it's because you slowly lose amino acids. They help build the proteins that make up the insulation around your neurons.
Cyclothymia symptoms alternate between emotional highs and lows. The highs of cyclothymia include symptoms of an elevated mood (hypomanic symptoms). The lows consist of mild or moderate depressive symptoms. Cyclothymia symptoms are similar to those of bipolar I or II disorder, but they're less severe.
Cyclothymia (cyclothymic disorder) is a milder form of bipolar disorder. It involves frequent mood swings of hypomanic and depressive episodes. Bipolar disorder is a lifelong mood disorder and mental health condition that causes intense shifts in mood, energy levels, thinking patterns and behavior.
Cyclothymia has many similarities to bipolar disorder. Most people's symptoms are mild enough that they do not seek mental health treatment, or the emotional highs feel nice, so they do not realise there's anything wrong or want to seek help. This means cyclothymia often goes undiagnosed and untreated.
People with bipolar disorder experience severe depression or have low energy for several days or weeks. This is known as a depressive episode. Other symptoms include sleeping too much or too little, worrying a lot, forgetting things, and feeling sad or empty. In severe episodes, suicidal thoughts or behavior may arise.
Bipolar disorder is easily confused with depression because it can include depressive episodes. The main difference between the two is that depression is unipolar, meaning that there is no “up” period, but bipolar disorder includes symptoms of mania.
Everyone experiences normal ups and downs, but with bipolar disorder, the range of mood changes can be extreme. People with the disorder have manic episodes, or unusually elevated moods in which the individual might feel very happy, irritable, or “up,” with a marked increase in activity level.
“When stressed, bipolar patients will often, out of desperation, reach for anything to calm themselves or take away the stress even for a moment. Drugs, binge-eating, or excessive shopping can be unhealthy coping mechanisms that can bring on mood episodes,” Dr. Israel says.
Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental illness with the peak age of onset between 20 and 40 years. Yassa et al2 proposed age 50 as a cut off for the late onset bipolar disorder. They also reported that about 90 percent of cases have onset prior to age 50.
The symptoms usually appear between the ages of 18 to 29 years, but they can occur at any age, including childhood and the teenage years. Bipolar disorder can be hard to diagnose, but there are signs or symptoms that you can look for.
To receive a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, you must experience at least one period of mania or hypomania. These both involve feelings of excitement, impulsivity, and high energy, but hypomania is considered less severe than mania. Mania symptoms can affect your day-to-day life, leading to problems at work or home.
It's common to have stable or neutral periods in between episodes. This doesn't mean that you have no emotions during this time. It means that you're not currently experiencing mania, hypomania or depression, or that you're managing your symptoms effectively.