definitely agree on the cycles within cycles. I don't have to go fully hypomanic to get a rebound depression
I've found it happens particularly when I'm changing meds - my brain and the meds are sort of fighting it out for who wins in the end....
Anika - I like the term messy too.... I use it too, when things are a bit mixed up - I don't like using "mixed" cos it refers to a specific condition where as messy is what ever I want it to mean