How long do bipolar episodes last

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Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. In the context of bipolar disorder , a mental illness that involves extreme swings in mood, a cycle is the period of time in which an individual goes through one episode of mania and one episode of depression or hypomania and depression.

Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer to how often these cycles occur. The frequency and duration of bipolar cycles are as varied as the individuals who have them. Typically, someone with bipolar disorder experiences one or two cycles a year, with manic episodes generally occurring in the spring or fall.

A study of people with bipolar 1 disorder found that mood episodes lasted an average of 13 weeks. In addition, there is a seasonal influence—manic episodes occur more often in the spring and fall. Certain conditions are known to trigger symptoms in people with bipolar disease. Understanding these triggers—and avoiding them—can minimize symptoms and limit the number of cycles a person experiences. Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that affects your moods, which can swing from 1 extreme to another.

It used to be known as manic depression. Symptoms of bipolar disorder depend on which mood you're experiencing. Unlike simple mood swings, each extreme episode of bipolar disorder can last for several weeks or even longer. You may initially be diagnosed with clinical depression before you have a manic episode sometimes years later , after which you may be diagnosed with bipolar disorder. During an episode of depression, you may have overwhelming feelings of worthlessness, which can potentially lead to thoughts of suicide.

If you're feeling suicidal, read about where to get urgent help for mental health. If you're feeling very depressed, contact a GP, your care co-ordinator or speak to a local mental health crisis team as soon as possible. Find a local NHS urgent mental health helpline. You could also call NHS if you're not sure what to do or if you cannot speak to your local NHS urgent mental health helpline.

If you want to talk to someone confidentially, call the Samaritans free on You can talk to them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Or visit the Samaritans website or email jo samaritans. You may feel very creative and view the manic phase of bipolar as a positive experience.

But you may also experience symptoms of psychosis , where you see or hear things that are not there or become convinced of things that are not true. Fact: Many people with bipolar disorder have successful careers, happy family lives, and satisfying relationships. Living with bipolar disorder is challenging, but with treatment, healthy coping skills, and a solid support system, you can live fully while managing your symptoms.

Fact: Some people alternate between extreme episodes of mania and depression, but most are depressed more often than they are manic. Mania may also be so mild that it goes unrecognized. People with bipolar disorder can also go for long stretches without symptoms. Fact: Bipolar disorder also affects your energy level, judgment, memory, concentration, appetite, sleep patterns, sex drive, and self-esteem. Additionally, bipolar disorder has been linked to anxiety, substance abuse, and health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, migraines, and high blood pressure.

Fact: While medication is the foundation of bipolar disorder treatment, therapy and self-help strategies also play important roles. You can help control your symptoms by exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, eating right, monitoring your moods, keeping stress to a minimum, and surrounding yourself with supportive people. 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. Some have frequent mood disruptions, while others experience only a few over a lifetime. There are four types of mood episodes in bipolar disorder: mania, hypomania, depression, and mixed episodes. Each type of bipolar disorder mood episode has a unique set of symptoms.

But while mania feels good at first, it has a tendency to spiral out of control. You may behave recklessly during a manic episode: gambling away your savings , engaging in inappropriate sexual activity, or making foolish business investments, for example. Some people even become delusional or start hearing voices.

Hypomania is a less severe form of mania. However, hypomania can result in bad decisions that harm your relationships, career, and reputation.

In addition, hypomania often escalates to full-blown mania or is followed by a major depressive episode. In the past, bipolar depression was lumped in with regular depression , but a growing body of research suggests that there are significant differences between the two, especially when it comes to recommended treatments.

Most people with bipolar depression are not helped by antidepressants. In fact, there is a risk that antidepressants can make bipolar disorder worse—triggering mania or hypomania, causing rapid cycling between mood states, or interfering with other mood stabilizing drugs.

Despite many similarities, certain symptoms are more common in bipolar depression than in regular depression. For example, bipolar depression is more likely to involve irritability, guilt, unpredictable mood swings, and feelings of restlessness. With bipolar depression, you may move and speak slowly, sleep a lot, and gain weight. A mixed episode of bipolar disorder features symptoms of both mania or hypomania and depression.

Common signs of a mixed episode include depression combined with agitation, irritability, anxiety, insomnia, distractibility, and racing thoughts. This combination of high energy and low mood makes for a particularly high risk of suicide. 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.

Rapid cycling can leave you feeling dangerously out of control and most commonly occurs if your bipolar disorder symptoms are not being adequately treated. Bipolar I Disorder mania or a mixed episode — This is the classic manic-depressive form of the illness, characterized by at least one manic episode or mixed episode.

Usually—but not always—Bipolar I Disorder also involves at least one episode of depression. Instead, the illness involves episodes of hypomania and severe depression. Cyclothymia hypomania and mild depression — Cyclothymia is a milder form of bipolar disorder that consists of cyclical mood swings. However, the symptoms are less severe than full-blown mania or depression. Living with untreated bipolar disorder can lead to problems in everything from your career to your relationships to your health.

But bipolar disorder is highly treatable, so diagnosing the problem and starting treatment as early as possible can help prevent these complications. Mania and hypomania often turn destructive, hurting you and the people around you. Bipolar disorder requires long-term treatment. Most people with bipolar disorder need medication to prevent new episodes and stay symptom-free. There is more to treatment than medication.

Medication alone is usually not enough to fully control the symptoms of bipolar disorder. The most effective treatment strategy for bipolar disorder involves a combination of medication, therapy, lifestyle changes , and social support. But in order to successfully manage bipolar disorder, you have to make smart choices. Your lifestyle and daily habits can have a significant impact on your moods and may even lessen your need for medication..