Hi TheSadGirl. I have bipolar type 1. Over the course of my life, manic states have been much more of an issue for me than depressive ones. I will say that though I have been full blown manic many many times, I also had a tendency to be in extremely extended hypomanic episodes. Months and months. Actually, my psychiatrist believes that my baseline is mild hypomania, but I think of myself more as an upbeat joie de vivre type of gal. The extended hypomanias I just referred to were more moderate to high-level, just below full blown. Usually, in my youth, I would only reach full-blown after long hypomanic periods. As I aged, I was having more full-blown manias that came on quickly.

I do not want to totally minimize my depressive periods, though. I suffered because of them, too. I was a little bit less disabled from them in my youth, but I remember them well. They also lasted shorter periods back then. Really the longest period(s) of depression I experienced were in later years. I had a really long doozy that followed years of way too high manic states. Basically, I finally crashed big time. When I'm purely depressed, I basically feel paralyzed.

I'll also mention that mixed episodes (mostly on the manic end) have been major concerns for me and my most dangerous and distressing episodes. That is usually the only time I ever have suicidal ideations. Not when purely depressed. Off the top of my head, I'd say that 6 out of my 10 hospitalizations were when I was in severe mixed states, many with psychosis involved. Two were for pure mania (one of which included psychosis), and two more for pure depression (one of which involved psychosis), totaling 10. It is also very common for me to transition from mania to depression, or mania to baseline, in the form of a mixed state.

Switching episodes is not always a given for me. I can become manic and then baseline and then manic again, then baseline, without depression. I believe the opposite has happened, as well.

Although I have had plenty of stressful periods, and some grief, in the last few years, I don't believe I've been in a bona fide depressive episode during this time. I have had a number of hypomanias and two brief full blown. I haven't been hospitalized for some years now. Improved insight on my part and hubby's, a responsive psychiatrist, coping skills, and a good medication mix all help.