I'm a rapid cycler so my baseline is sort of thin - three or four days maybe. I hop between mania and mild depression pretty quickly.

Mania seems to be much more prevalent, maybe a week in duration. I used to be unable to recognize it but now I'm more tuned in. I stay up late and buzz around the house, accomplishing all sorts of stuff. It feels good to get things done but I need to be careful about the so-called "side effects" for me which are blaming the world for my problems, incessant ranting, rage, challenging everything and everyone, and paranoia. I think it happens toward the end of mania when I sort of crash. My mind craps out after going full bore for a week.

Depression kicks in for a few days afterward and I get down on all sorts of stuff. My mind sort of rests and I don't have the capacity to deal with life. Then I sort of flatten out a bit as a baseline for a week or so.

Then, I will wash, rinse, and repeat the cycle.