I had gone 2 years without an episode. Then I had a manic/psychotic episode (difficulty sleeping, very high energy, and seeing things) and have been stable for about 8 months since. Before all of this I was more unstable: about 3-4 episodes a year, hypo/mania with falling into depression afterwards. After I started to take the right med combo was when I started going so long between episodes.

My pdoc says that I'm 'stable,' not in remission. I had told her that I thought I was in 'remission' because there were such long intervals between episodes.

A pdoc at the Stanford Bipolar Clinic told me that she had patients who had gone 10 years without an episode, that this was not uncommon at all.