I definitely have the seasonal pattern. I don't think I was rapid cycling until not all that long ago with med changes (I got hypo for a couple of days just a few days ago titrating wellbutrin), but there years where I had hypomania twice and was depressed the rest of the time. Technically speaking that would be 5 episodes, but one rolled over from the previous year and one rolled over into the next year. It sure didn't seem rapid. I have cycled 5 times in the last 3 months or so but some changes seemed med related.