Let's Talk About Rapid Cycling

[Phyllis]

Rapid cycling bipolar disorder is defined as having mood swings at least four times a year. That doesn't seem very "rapid" to me, but maybe it's a matter of semantics. For myself, I seem to cycle between long depressive episodes, mixed episodes and periods of stability, with hypomania being a rare and, I confess, welcome occurrence. But lately I've been wondering, because I'm finding my mood to be quite different from one day to the next (about one good day to two or three bad ones), whether this is a form of cycling or really just a good day/bad day thing that anybody could have.
So I thought I'd ask the people who know best - my readers who are rapid cyclers. Please click this link to share your story about rapid cycling bipolar disorder with others - including me.

And no matter how often you cycle in your bipolar disorder, please take the poll at right. It will be interesting to see the results, don't you think?
http://bipolar.about.com/b/2010/08/02/lets-talk-about-rapid-cycling.htm

[cadno]

I can rapid cycle literally in a day, I've been on dizzying highs and hit rock bottom in the space of hours!!

Thanks for the link to the poll though, seems I'm not alone in that fact, currently standing on a nice 24% for us daily cyclers!

Rich

[chasemanzmum]

I have been stable from my daily cycling for about a month.

[Dreamline]

Before meds, I would have manic episodes that never ended.  They would last half a year it seemed like.  Sometimes I  remember having 3 or maybe 4 episodes in a year. 

But now, after medication is working; I have lots of little ups and downs....it this normal?  Its too cyclicy to me.  I go from a week or 2 of increased motivation/irritability/mild insomnia/racing thoughts...to a week of mild negativity/sensitivity/anxiety/fatigue.  Its like lithium replaced my Bipolar 1 with Cyclothymia.