I'm sorry, cashart10! I was unstable for a bit over three years after my psychotic episode. There were times when I believed I was getting better only to find that I wasn't. It's frustrating, but the gift of Bipolar is that its cyclical nature means it does improve. That doesn't mean you'll be back to your old self. Even when Bipolar patients are euthymic, a significant proportion of us still exhibit some depressive symptoms. However, it does mean things will probably calm down for quite a while. Unfortunately, it can take a long time for that to happen. You've just got to hold on and push through it.

Not always. I get melancholic type depression. It's horrible after I wake up and lessens in intensity the longer I go without sleep. The cycle begins again after I've taken a nap or gone to sleep for the night. My depression tends to be much more bearable at night.