I don't really know. I was reasonably stable for about 8 years. (Give or take a couple years) I had ups and downs which could be considered episodic but I was functional and didn't cause problems for others or anything too bad for myself. I wasn't stable in a classic sense but not symptomatic enough to require immediate intervention. I was med free and still believe being so was in my best interests at that time. I would be very happy to return to that state of being, even if it meant I needed to drink once a week to keep from going off the deep end entirely. I know too much now to return and I feel the knowledge I now have is both beneficial and detrimental.