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.
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.
Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer to the duration or frequency of bipolar cycles since they are as varied as the people who experience them. A change or "mood swing" can last for hours, days, weeks, or even months. Learn more about bipolar cycles, as well as how to help someone who is cycling.
People who have bipolar disorder go through intense mood swings. Their feelings can be hard to control. Their moods change often and they can't help it.
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. While the phrase “rapid cycling” may make it seem that there is a regular cycle to these shifts in mood, most cycles do not follow a pattern.
Arguments with your spouse, chilly weather, grief — a number of scenarios may provoke bipolar mania or depression. Certain medications, seasonal changes, and alcohol could trigger bipolar mood episodes, experts say. Here's why. Bipolar disorder is characterized by unusual shifts in mood and energy.
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.
Overview. Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). When you become depressed, you may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest or pleasure in most activities.
You may also want to look into cognitive behaviour therapy or dialectical behaviour therapy, which can help people with bipolar disorder to understand and manage their intense emotions more effectively.
In short, bipolar disorder may sound like a serious diagnosis, but with the right tools, supports and a commitment to be healthy, it is manageable for many. Not only can you live a normal life with bipolar disorder, you can lead a full and rewarding life.
Bipolar Disorder's primary trait is a cycling mood, alternating between the extremes of depression and mania. While not everyone with bipolar may hit those extremes, cycling moods can result in a recurrent relationship break-up cycle.
During manic episodes, it is not unusual for bipolar people to experience "racing thoughts" and "flight of ideas."2 These two associated symptoms involve extremely rapid thought processes that sometimes leap from topic to topic at incredible speed.
Significant seasonal variation exists in bipolar disorder with manic/hypomanic symptoms peaking around the fall equinox and depressive symptoms peaking in months surrounding the winter solstice in bipolar I disorder.
Manic episodes can last from hours or days to weeks for some types of bipolar cycles, while others can last from months to years. Alcohol and drugs can induce manic episodes. The episodes can be so extreme that some people need to be hospitalized due to drastic changes in behavior.
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.
As with many emotions, however, people with bipolar disorder appear to be more vulnerable to extreme reactions. “Everyone can become frustrated or angry, but loss of control can be part and parcel of bipolar disorder rage,” says Jeffrey Borenstein, MD, president and CEO of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation.
Here are some reasons why people with bipolar push others away: They don't want to burden people with their problems. The inside of a bipolar mind can be a dark place sometimes. It's common for people with bipolar to worry that their problems are going to bring people down.
If you have bipolar and wish to repair relationships damaged by your behavior (whether while symptomatic or not), it is vital to first recognize the other person's feelings and pain. Admitting to your actions and acknowledging the harm they caused your loved one is a good first step in the process of making amends.
Don't take comments or behavior personally. During periods of high energy, a person often says and does things that he or she would not usually say or do. This can include focusing on negative aspects of others. If needed, stay away from the person and avoid arguments.