Within a 12-month period, roughly how many episodes do you typically have?

I have 1-2 a month, and since November 2015, I've had 12. Yay rapid cycling...

[raspberrytorte]

I don't know. A lot!

Well, this year so far I've had three, if I just lump my last situation into one big episode.

edit - Actually it's four episodes.

Probably about 10-15 a year. Gotta love that ultra rapid cycling

[jpb4815]

4-5, if you are talking about extended periods of Hypomania or bouts of depression. If you are talking true mania by definition 1-2 in a bad year. I have had a manic episode that lasted for over a year though. that was before I was diagnosed. I am lucky that I am not dead.

[Coffeee]

So far this year I've only had two, one up and then the down. I think I have avoided others by not going into mania from my meds stabilizing me so then I don't have to crash like in the past.

[Unrigged64072835]

It was about 3-4 times a year. It's been about 2 a year now. Sometimes it seems like one long depression but it isn't.

[scatterbrained04]

That's a tricky question for me. My episodes can last a LONG time. I would say on average maybe 2 or 3. Or I could have 1 depressive episode that lasts the whole year.

[BipolaRNurse]

I used to have 4-6 major episodes a year, but meds and therapy have tempered that to the point where I have hypomania in the spring and mild depression in the late fall and winter. Compared with the way it used to be, I can't complain about a couple of minor episodes in a year.

[HALLIEBETH87]

I used to cycle constantly but this year I've had about 3 episodes!

[OctobersBlackRose]

I actually don't know, this year maybe 2 major episodes, and a little but t of hypomania mixed in here and there, idk really.

[JustJace2u]

My guess is 1-2 a month at this point.

[Wander]

It varies, but this year I have had five so far. Hypo then mixed then hypo then severely mixed, a few weeks break then declining into deep depression which is where I am at now. Each episode ranged from weeks to months.

i've had about 4 so far this year.
I'm expecting another one (i wouldn't usually say that, but you know when you can just feel it)

[wildcat04]

4 so far and it hasn't been a complete year! :/

[MBM17]

So far in January - August 2016, one 10-week episode, six shorter ones.

[~Christina]

Most episodes need to last at least 2 weeks to be considered an " episode"

Personally I have had 4 or so .

Are people counting each stage as a episode? Hypo 1, then manic 2, then depressed, 3 ???

Or a episode from start to finish ? Curious about this ?

Also you need to come off a baseline to have an actual " episode" as my Pdoc explained to me years ago.

A lot of rapid cycles are actually someone that hasn't actually had a good dose of time " baseline" to actually have something to compare to.

[franz kafka]

4-5 episodes per year, 2-3 months each, so that makes me a rapid cycler

[Treyfrancis21]

A year ago I was hypo for a month and a half and have been in varying degrees of depression since, until just recently when i started wellbutrin. The latuda has kept swings down for three years, but my baseline has been mildly depressed until now.

[Hashi/bipolar mom]

I usually have about 3-4 a year and they are usually bad. I'm now conscious of when they are coming on now since being dx'd last year. It's interesting though in that they are about the same times during the year.