[BPgf]

What is the most amount of time you've "lost" to episodes?

By "lost" I mean the length of time you suffered (both high, low, mixed, or both back-to-back), not counting "cleanup" and "recovery" after it's ended.

Example: I lost a month or so to mania, and another 5 months to the depression that followed.

What is the most you've lost? Or however you want to phrase it.

[Row Jimmy]

For me, who knows? I've talked myself out of 3 or 4 jobs and lost a bunch of friends because of rapid cycling.

[MyUsername1111111]

I would say i lost 4 months to depression since i failed one of my semesters. Aside from that, haven't lost much aside from friends and my mind

[raspberrytorte]

I was going to say I haven't really "lost"any time, but I guess I kind of have. I got PPD after our daughter was born and was depressed pretty much the entire first year of her life, so I didn't/couldn't enjoy anything about being a new mom.

[yanks7]

It might be easier to keep track of time "gained". But too answer your question rapid cycling kicked my *** for at least a year

[Capriciousness]

Yes I would quibble about the use of the word "lost" here just because I have a complicated relationship with my bipolar and episodes....but I get your thinking here and like the question. I don't know if I can or even want to tally up the sum total of time spent cycling or in an episode (eeek) I can prob think of some. My last "big" one I "lost" 5-6 months to mania and then crashed and lost five more to depression. My big mixed that got me dxed lost me three months and then I lost nine months to Abilify. That **** did not like me.

I am, just coming out of a manic period. I have downgraded to hypomanic ,which for me, is livable. This current one was 2 months long. Before that I was stable for 6 months. Before, that, I have lost time. I can't really count how long because I was unstable for years on and off.

I usually have a good 4 months per depression.

[Bigmike727]

The longest for me was a depressive episode, lasted for about a year or so. Long time, I know but my episodes, atleast until my teens came, tended to last quite awhile. Right now, an episode typically lasts about a month or so. Looking at it like my pdoc said though, look at the illness as something you can utilize, I know it sounds hard, but look at the things you have accomplished during an episode, this applies more to mania though, I can write like a 10 page essay in 5 minutes when manic lol, probably won't make much sense but hey it is what it is.

[Wander]

Unmedicated I had periods of over a year where I was mixed, depressed or manic although mostly mixed. It was pure hell. At the time I was undiagnosed and on nothing or anti-depressants only. My behaviour/mood states was then thought to be a result of the PTSD and Borderline Personality Disorder. Once they were treated it was obvious I had Bipolar and I was put on meds which reduced the length of my episodes.

[BipolaRNurse]

I spent most of last year in a mild to moderate depression that went bad on me in October. Longest time I've ever been manic was over an entire summer back in the late 1970s, although I didn't recognize it as such until recent years.

[Crazy Hitch]

I really like this question.

It really highlights how different we all are.

And it's been interesting reading through responses.

Thank you for this.

For me personally, this "episode" or whatever you will call it - honestly has been utterly disruptive to my life since October last year.

I just can't shake it off.

I've lost years. All I remember is elation then dark. When people ask me of those years, or try to prompt me to remember "good times" all I can see is dark. All dark, for years at a time.

[RisuNeko]

The clearest period I can remember is a little over a year and a half due to my first major manic episode right before my honors thesis defense in college and the ensuing deep depression that lasted through graduation and lasted well over a year.

But the past 3 years have been kind of a blur of episode after episode. I haven't seen baseline in a very very long time. It does feel like lost time even though I have gotten some things done whether they've been done in vain or not remains to be seen.

I spent 2 years on an antidepressant induced Ultradian episode. Thats what happens when you use a GP instead of a Pdoc.

[Homeira]

My longest period of being hypomanic was 5-6 months. Depression, my longest was a year.