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.
How often do people with bipolar disorder cycle? 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.
Bipolar I disorder is defined by manic episodes that last at least 7 days (most of the day, nearly every day) or when manic symptoms are so severe that hospital care is needed. Usually, separate depressive episodes occur as well, typically lasting at least 2 weeks.
There is usually no set pattern as to when an episode might occur and what form it may take. In some cases, the episodes may cycle every few months; in others, the cycling may occur monthly or weekly.
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.
They last at least two weeks but can last much longer, sometimes for months. Like manic or hypomanic episodes, they can severely disrupt your everyday life.
70,000 Thoughts Per Day - International Bipolar Foundation.
Many people with bipolar disorder will experience two cycles per year, according to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. When someone has four or more manic, hypomanic, or depressive episodes in a 12-month period, this is called rapid cycling.
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. This has been described as “ultra-rapid cycling.”
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder where people experience mania (extreme highs) and depression (extreme lows). These episodes are often random or may be triggered by specific events. However, understanding your bipolar disorder triggers can help manage or prevent an episode.
Symptoms of mental illness often become worse during the spring season. For patients with mood disorders, the phrase “spring fever” has a different meaning. Previous studies have reported that the incidence of mania peaks during the spring in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres [1].
In patients with bipolar disorder, admissions for manic and depressive episodes frequently follow a seasonal pattern with the peaks during either autumn or winter, or autumn and spring [3,4].
Bipolar disorder can look very different in different people. The symptoms vary widely in their pattern, severity, and frequency. Some people are more prone to either mania or depression, while others alternate equally between the two types of episodes.
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.
Common warning signs of an impending manic episode include the following: Increased energy or a sense of restlessness. Decreased need for sleep. Rapid, pressured speech (cant stop talking)
In between manic and depressive mood episodes, a person with bipolar disorder may feel relatively normal. They have a typical amount of energy and do not have symptoms of depression or mania. They can go about their day-to-day life without excessive worry or straining over every detail.
Can rapid cycling happen in a day? Some people do experience significant changes in mood, such as from a state of mania to one of depression, in a single day. When mood changes happen this frequently in someone with bipolar disorder, it's called ultra-rapid cycling.
Mania in particular tends to trigger aggressive emotions and anger. The racing thoughts and high energy levels you experience can leave you feeling angry, irritable, and frustrated. Those angry emotions, in turn, can cause aggressive and inappropriate behaviors.
“People with bipolar disorder often report that there's an obsession of the day or the week, and as one problem gets resolved, it can easily be replaced by another problem,” Hubbard says. “There's something in the brain that needs to ruminate and worry and obsess about different topics.
Many people with bipolar disorder may experience excessive daytime sleepiness, known as hypersomnia. Researchers are still unsure of the exact cause of hypersomnia in those with bipolar disorder. A doctor will often prescribe medication and suggest lifestyle changes to treat this sleep disturbance.
Bipolar disorder may make it more difficult for you to interpret people's emotions. Missed clues make it harder for you to empathize when others feel happy or sad. If someone is feeling troubled, you may lack enough empathy to be moved to help.