Periods of 'Stability' between Episodes

Hi everyone,

There seem to be a lot of people on here who cycle fairly quickly between episodes of depression and hypomania or mania. Any of you -like me- have long periods of time (sometimes many months) between episodes when you're 'stable?'

(That said, I used to get depressed far more often than I do now, but since starting on Lamictal a few years ago [and therapy has helped] the deep-dark-awful-long-lasting-wanting-to-off-myself kind happens far less often now).

'Stable' for me includes a good deal of anxiety and some other issues, but it's my baseline, it's 'normal' for me, it's not episodic per se. Sometimes I'll have short periods (a couple of days) of 'extra' good mood, talkativeness, etc., which might be considerd hypomania but it's short, mild, and doesn't cause problems, so i don't consider it an 'episode' for me. My manic states start with a boatload of paranoia, so I know when that starts I'm scre ***wed (followed my grandiosity, euphoria, etc. mixed in) -so when I say I have long periods between 'episodes' this is what I'm referring to.

Point is, I can go as long as a year or more without this happening.

Anyone else with (relatively) long periods of stability/between episodes?

When I was taking both lithium and Zyprexa, I went two years without an episode. Only when I went off of Zyprexa did I go into a manic episode. Now I am back on it and I have been stable for a year so far. I felt a lot of anxiety and unhappiness the last few years, but suddenly that has dissipated and I feel calm now on a daily basis. Sometimes it makes you forget you have an illness.

What you are describing has some rather unusual happenings. You describe
ultradian behavior (or rapid mood swings) and then shift to a much longer period
between episodes which is reminiscent more of bipolar II. Paranoia is a different illness.

Hypomanic states are stronger than a little euphoria, but they do not contain the
delusions or loss of reasoning capacity in full-blown manic states.

I really don't know what to say about your episodes, frankly, but I wish you well
and hope you find real stability.

I have paranoia when dysphoric and it spirals from there. It's a pain because when you need help the most you are to scared to ask. My baseline is high but I have yet to be able to sit there longer then a month-ish.

I've had periods of many months maybe even a year or more unmedicated and without an episode. From what I've read abd discussed with doctors that's pretty typical but, when you read personal accounts from people online you wouldn't think that. Some seem to see every little emotional reaction as an episode. When learning about your disorder, take from reputable sources and your own experiences and take places like this as personal stories from people who may not be properly diagnosed, are making up drama or lack the ability to effectively communicate or interpret what is going on with them. This board isn't the place to learn about what I'd "normal" with bipolar.

Thanks, Cocoabeans.

I had my first episode in 9th grade. It was a severe depression with anxiety that came out of nowhere. It was so bad I never went back to high school. I had not been diagnosed yet with bipolar.

In my early 20's to late 30's my life was normal, in hindsight maybe a little hypo manic at times. I never thought about the depression in my teens. I had a great career, Systems/Analyst in the computer field. I was a mom and wife. I supported my husband while he went back to school.

In my late 30's depression reared its head again. I still worked while I saw a psychiatrist and therapist and took Prozac. Still I wasn't diagnosed as bipolar.
Eventually the Prozac pushed me into mania and then cycling. I had my first hospitialization. I could not seem to get myself together enough to do my job and went out on long term disability. The next few years were a nightmare. I still was not diagnosed with bipolar and the treatment and meds I got made me worse.

When I was finally diagnosed correctly with Bipolar 1 and got the right meds, I started to have some fairly long periods of normal mood. I thought I was cured and started to go back to school on several occasions. But the normal mood never lasted long enough to complete a degree. I always fell into either Manis or depression eventually.

I am 56 now and I am in menopause. Going through this change of life has done horrible things with my illness. I cycle much more rapidly and have become intimately entwined in mixed states.

This is my version of Bipolar 1 disorder. When I went to John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD as an inpatient in November 2011. John Hopkins is number 1 in the US for mood disorders. I was told by the director of the program that I was the worse case of rapid cycling that had ever been seen

So, I think the take away is, Bipolar Disorder can change overtime, caused by many many factors.

So, I think the take away is, Bipolar Disorder can change overtime, caused by many many factors.

I very much agree with this! Thanks.

I have fairly long periods of stability too.

Good thread, very helpful as I try to sort out my particular flavor of BPII-ish crap. Yes, I go for long periods having an "okay" or baseline mood, functional but not really enjoying much in any depth. Very mild hypomania is way too seldom, years between episodes, and they have lasted several months of much-welcome energy and interest in things, followed by wicked deep crash.

Up until a few years ago I used to have long periods of stability. For me "stability" is that i have good concentration, thoughts may be fast but not to the point that I can lose my focus. Good memory. Not feeling irritable and aggitated all the time. Able to keep up with my housework and work. Not having episodes. But, of course, before when I was stable like I'm thinking, I was also having psychosis. Of course, I didn't know I was having psychosis, and I was functioning okay at school....

So, hmmmm... either episodes or psychosis.....

Thank you for sharing your experiences, it's so interesting how we feel between episodes, what is 'normal' or baseline for us and of course it's going to be so different for everyone, as different as -well- everyone is from each other.

And I've been there Dark Heart, not realizing right away when things have gone terribly wrong and with pretty awful consequences. Once I become aware of it (or someone has made me aware) then I can at least up the Seroquel (often more than once) and am at least on the road to recovery, however long that may take, but until then...it's a tough road.

One of the great things about this forum is knowing you're not alone in this.