Some people with bipolar disorder will alternate between manic and depressive episodes once or twice a year. Others may only experience this once every few years. However, a small subset of people will have rapid cycling, in which the mood swings come fast and frequently.
Early signs (called “prodromal symptoms”) that you're getting ready to have a manic episode can last weeks to months. If you're not already receiving treatment, episodes of bipolar-related mania can last between three and six months. With effective treatment, a manic episode usually improves within about three months.
The number of episodes within a patient's lifetime varies. Some individuals may have only two or three within their lifetime while others may have the same number within a single year. Frequency of episodes depends on many factors including the natural course of the condition as well as on appropriate treatment.
Nearly all patients who have one manic episode will have another; the number of manic episodes varies from person to person, but the average number of episodes a patient will have in a lifetime is nine. Some patients have rapid cycling - with four or more manic or depressive episodes in a year.
Their criteria for manic episode is: You have an abnormal, long-lasting elevated expression of emotion along with a high degree of energy and activity that lasts for at least four consecutive days and is present most of the day, nearly every day.
On average, people with bipolar will have one or two cycles yearly. In addition, there is a seasonal influence—manic episodes occur more often in the spring and fall.
Untreated, an episode of mania can last anywhere from a few days to several months. Most commonly, symptoms continue for a few weeks to a few months. Depression may follow shortly after, or not appear for weeks or months.
Bipolar psychosis happens when a person experiences an episode of severe mania or depression, along with psychotic symptoms and hallucinations. The symptoms tend to match a person's mood. During a manic phase, they may believe they have special powers. This type of psychosis can lead to reckless or dangerous behavior.
When a person is in a full-blown manic and psychotic episode, memory is greatly affected. In fact, it is rare for someone who is in a deep episode to remember all that happened. This is why it's called a blackout. The average person in this situation remembers maybe 50 percent, in my experience.
Rapid cycling is a feature of bipolar disorder in which episodes of mania, hypomania, or depression are more frequent. These episodes may appear unexpectedly and are mostly temporary.
Changes in mood here can happen quickly and occur over a few days or even over a few hours. If there are four mood changes within a month, it is called ultra-rapid cycling.
A bipolar depression crash is usually the emotional fallout of a hypomanic or manic episode. It can also occur when something triggers bipolar depression or as a result of chemical or hormonal changes in the brain.
Bipolar disorder is diagnosed after someone experiences a hypomanic or manic episode along with multiple additional episodes of either mania, hypomania or depression. Rapid cycling in itself is not a diagnosis, but rather a "course specifier" or descriptor of the course of illness.
Overview. Cyclothymia (sy-kloe-THIE-me-uh), also called cyclothymic disorder, is a rare mood disorder. Cyclothymia causes emotional ups and downs, but they're not as extreme as those in bipolar I or II disorder. With cyclothymia, you experience periods when your mood noticeably shifts up and down from your baseline.
A person with bipolar disorder may be unaware they're in the manic phase. After the episode is over, they may be shocked at their behaviour. But at the time, they may believe other people are being negative or unhelpful. Some people with bipolar disorder have more frequent and severe episodes than others.
In the manic phase of bipolar disorder, it's common to experience feelings of heightened energy, creativity, and euphoria. If you're experiencing a manic episode, you may talk a mile a minute, sleep very little, and be hyperactive. You may also feel like you're all-powerful, invincible, or destined for greatness.
After a manic or hypomanic episode you might: Feel very unhappy or ashamed about how you behaved. Have made commitments or taken on responsibilities that now feel unmanageable. Have only a few clear memories of what happened during your episode, or none at all.
During a manic episode, people with bipolar disorder can have what's called a bipolar blackout. During a blackout, the individual is not aware of their surroundings or actions and has trouble remembering them afterward. This can make interacting with someone in a blackout very frustrating, but it doesn't have to be.
Some people who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder will experience episodes of psychosis during mania or depression. These episodes cause hallucinations, delusions, disordered thinking, and a lack of awareness of reality.
Bipolar disorder may worsen with age or over time if the condition is left untreated. As time goes on, a person may experience episodes that are more severe and more frequent than when symptoms first appeared.
Without ongoing treatment, a small mood change may spiral into a manic or depressive episode. Alcohol and drug abuse will increase the severity of Bipolar Disorder, so these problems must also be treated.