On top of being bipolar, I'm moody and have terrible pms (possible pmdd). So my moods swings happen frequently and may not be typical of an average person with bipolar.

My depression/elation/dysphoric phases are random. Some years I have more shifts than others. Depressions can last months to over a year for me. Hypo/Manias are usually a week to a few months at most (so far). Medication is making me cycle less quickly but I can't seem to fully pull out of depression.