Mania is what defines bipolar disorder, and it's the degree of mania you have which determines whether you are Bipolar 1 or 2. Then there's cyclothymia, which is what's sometimes called "bipolar lite" because the mood swings aren't as extreme as they are in BP 1 and 2. Rapid cycling is when a person has 4 or more major mood swings in a year's time, and ultradian is when they cycle every day or even several times in one day.

It's hard to tell sometimes if a person is suffering from ultradian cycling, or if they're actually having a mixed episode. I'm rapid cycling by definition, but there are times when I literally can't tell up from down or my mood shifts several times in a week. Those are my mixed episodes and they are HELL. Mixed episodes can appear in BP 1, 2, and NOS. (I don't know if it happens in cyclothymia.) Hope this helps clarify things a little more.