>> I'm pretty confused on that one myself.

We associate Bipolar with depressive episodes and manic episodes... but the diagnosis really applies to mood swings. For many that means swings between really high (manic) and really low (depressive) but it could also mean swings between depression and a non-depressed state, without any manic symptoms. This is what Bipolar II diagnosis is for.

I have periods of depression and periods when I feel better, as I work to get things back under control (medicine and therapy) but I don't really "swing" between the two states, that is why my dx is depression rather than Bipolar.

I'm not sure, but I would assume that someone with Bipolar II could experience the same type of variations as other bipolar diagnosees (is that a word? ) i.e. rapid cycling etc. but it would be rapid cycling with depression/no depression rather than cycling depression/manic.