okay, sorry to hog forum space but I have some more questions I can't find straight answers to online...

1. Is it possible that the length of cycles can increase/decrease dramatically over time?

For example, from about 19 - 20 y.o I was severely depressed - to the point I decided to take a break from school, could hardly get out of bed, very very panicked and agoraphobic (had a hard time even walking due to vertigo). There was no external cause for this, I just remember becoming extremely anxious, suffering from heart palpitations etc. Now, however, I feel only this depressed for maybe 3 days at a time - tops - sometimes it hits me out of the blue even for just 5 minutes, at which point I will start crying and planning my suicide, only to snap out of it randomly the next moment.

This seems way too short to be considered a mood swing though....

2. Do you have a sort of general curve that is up or down but within that period have dips/spikes of the opposite end of the spectrum (being generally hypomanic for a week but experiencing bouts of sadness or fatigue during?)

I feel in general that the length of my mood swings are totally erratic - from hour to hour sometimes or year to year in my past...I suppose it's a good thing nothing lasts too long, probably keeps me from causing a lot of damage, but also makes it very hard to stay on task. If the borderline diagnosis is correct, I guess that might be what's complicating things (?)

[Victoria'smom]

This seems way too short to be considered a mood swing though.... from what I've been told short situational mood swings are part of borderline but I don't know much about it so disregard if you wish.

As a teen I had basically one big mixed episode could this be happening to you? As I got older there was more clear cut episodes. For a while it was euphoria followed by catatonia but it turned to rage and suicidal as I got older. With meds things are less intense but more drawn out.