[crystalrose]

how often do you experience an episode and how long does it take for you to swap to the other extreme? I'm interested if its different for everyone or if bipolar 1 and 2 are different or the same.

For me it totally varies. (I have BP II) Sometimes I'll have a long span at either end, and sometimes it's up and down in short order. Longest recent hypomania went on about a month and a half (not medicated then, btw). Not sure for depression because I've spent so much time there in the last 3 years that I was _really_ starting to wonder if that was just baseline anymore for me. (When I'm in one mode or the other, I can "remember" the other, but it is almost like it was someone else, I can't "feel" or even relate to the other pole when I'm at the opposite. Don't know if that makes sense.) As far as time swapping, for me it can either be very fast, build into or maybe things are pretty normal in between. (Helpful, huh? )
From what I've read, BP I tends to have longer spans between episodes, but like you, crystalrose, I'm intersted to here some personal experience on that.

[ilazria]

Usually for me I go about 5 days or so hypomanic, then down 5 days with depression, then 2-3 days "normal." Sometimes it stretches to a week or 2 for the hypo and depression, and maybe a little longer normal, but I think it's more that the up and down process is slower at times.