Does "bipolar in full remission" exist?

Someone very close to me has been told he has "bipolar, in full remission". I'm trying to find out exactly what this means, specifically from those who suffer from bipolar.

I know this person is non-compliant with his mental health treatment, particularly with his medications. I feel that he may be lying to his medical provider, but I feel that I need to get some input from those who know the condition better than me.

It can go into "remission" it hasn't for myself or my family but I've heard on here it's happen. I feel my bipolar is not acting up it's my other issues that have.

Yes. The length longest time for me has been a couple years.

"Full remission"...I don't know why that differs from just plain "remission"...as in, the person is stable for some time.

my pdoc says bipolar eventually burns itself out.

Mine always seems to be listed as "Bipolar 1 disorder in partial remission". I don't know what it would take to kick it into full remission...sure seems to me that it's as much gone as it's ever going to get!

I've heard of it. I've also heard of unicorns and reports of mountain lions in Massachusetts
I've never been in anything more than partial remission either, even though I thought I was recovered (in a bipolar sense that is). How is full remission defined?

Whoa. I have never heard that. I've repeatedly been told I will need to be on meds for life. For me, bipolar seems to have become more intense as I've gotten older (I'm 55). But maybe I'm just more aware of it. Or maybe I'm not old enough yet for it to burn out, lol.

It's happened. You can have just one manic episode later in life and then never have another one, but that wouldn't be very common. I don't know about depression.

Your doctor's belief that bipolar burns itself out is very controversial. Numerous studies have not proven whether it worsens or improves with age. Many professionals believe in a theory called "kindling", which means that the pathway burns deeper, so to speak, with each episode. That's not proven either.

I subscribe to the kindling theory myself, mainly because my own bipolar illness seems to have intensified over time. Every episode I've had has seemed to lead to worse ones down the line. As for burning out, I've heard that but don't take much stock in it, although I have taken care of old people with bipolar and it's hard to tell what's BP from what's dementia, or simply an aspect of their personality. It's all interesting, and amazingly hard to prove one way or the other.

I've been considered mostly "in partial remission" for years now. I did have a few short depressions of 3 to 12 weeks in the last 12 months or so, and my psychiatrist claims I was hypomanic at one point (I don't remember it), but I haven't reached full blown manic for a very long time (? years) and obviously I've been stable most of the time, but not without some challenges (occasional anxiety, tendency to isolate, etc.)

My psychiatrist is encouraging me now to find volunteering, but I think he wants me very stable non-stop for at least a year before I take on more obligatory challenges.

I was labeled in remission on my paperwork, and I took that to mean that since I was on meds, it was no longer advancing untreated.

I’m sure if I quit meds, it would be advancing once again, but at the moment we’re in remission.

Just my take on it.

I appreciate all the input!

In my situation, this person's exact dx is "Bipolar II disorder, mild, depressed with anxious distress, in full remission". I did some searching and found a study that said "the median time to remission was 67.5 days (72.5 days for depressive episodes versus 58.0 days for manic episodes)." Unfortunately, that still doesn't answer the question as to what qualifies as "remission" nor does it explain the difference between partial vs full remission.

It can't possibly be this complicated.

Hi [un]broken Angel. Welcome.

Full remission, yes. Permanent remission, no.

I agree with AlwaysChanging2. I haven't had any episodes in 7 years but that could be due to the meds I stayed on this time.

Oh yes it can, lol!

I find it interesting that the pdoc notes his BP symptoms, followed by "in full remission". Then why bother mentioning them?? Say someone has a basic dx of BP I. Most pdocs will write their dx at a given appt., saying something like, "most recent episode mixed" (or "depressive" or "manic"). But the way he has written it, does he mean the whole blurb out front as his basic dx? His most recent dx? (Ie., what's currently happening in his BP cycling). It IS confusing.

In answer to the thread question, yes, it sometimes can go into full remission, which would mean there were no symptoms present. How long that lasts could vary widely.

My general doctor confused me when he wrote that I was depressed, then I decided he meant I was depressed as a diagnosis so therefore I was taking medication, but then what about mania since I am taking medication for that too? I think all of us are confused about what it means. My old GP used to write "bipolar" as my diagnosis no matter what I came to see her about.

IMHO....I feel that it’s a self pat on the back for the prescribing psychologist...another chalk mark in the books...over medicate short of insanity and feel like you did mankind a favor.

Ego-centric sobs

Grrrr.

This is when I take charge of my therapy and use them as a certified means....after all..I know what works for me....I ain’t no damn chemical lab rat making the pharms money. Eff that thank you very much...just my thoughts.

I was episode free for about 5 years. I was beginning to think I was cured but I'm weak and here I am again.

1st manic event: 1997, triggered by diet pills (phen-fen)

2nd manic event: 2015, triggered by insomnia from propanolol

No mood stabilizers from 1997 to 2015.

No lie...but anxiety and depression my whole life. Hypomania has been around a long time. I don’t know when it started because I never heard of it until recently.

Finally started on lithium in 2016. Abilify doesn’t do squat for me (2015-2016 hypomania and depression/anxiety still occurring on ability).

Was I in “remission” from bipolar? I don’t think so.

If I had never been prescribed the drugs, I might not even be dx’d.

If dsm hadn’t changed criteria, drug-induced mania wouldn’t even count toward a bipolar dx.

My mania was triggered by taking an antidepressant, so I'm not sure I would have been diagnosed otherwise either. I would say I am remission right now since I haven't had an episode in over seven years. But I take meds for bipolar, so I guess I wouldn't say I'm in full remission.

I've never even been told am "in remission," though. My pdoc only has said I have "surprisingly not had any episodes in a long time."

So, I am suspicious of any "bipolar in full remission" diagnosis, but I could be convinced that it does exist, I think. If I remember, then I'll ask my pdoc the next time I see her.

I wish.

Maybe when I finally hit 70 all of my disorders will stage a bonfire. I would be so happy to be rid of these things. Maybe my legs will grow back, too, like a salamander tail.

Um, yeah, I’m not gonna make it to 70.

Maybe when I die? I’ll probably be really depressed when that happens, though.

It’s better to burn out than it is to rust.

I had a pdoc who specialized in BP who told me she had patients who hadn't had an episode in 10 years. She said it was perfectly plausible.

I don't think 'in remission' means that you are so only because you're stable off of meds. I think you can be on meds and be in remission.

I was what I consider in remission for 2 and a half years, only because it was for so long. Who knows what the cut-off would be? Then I had a hypomanic eipsode that thanksfully only lasted a week and a half. I am very out of shape but was walking -fast!- on a treadmill for over an hour a day. For me, that time, it was purely a matter of too much energy; very little sleep and way too much energy. I didn't get euphoric like I used to, and that really sucks.

Now I'm dealing with a whole host of situational stressors and I can only hope that it doesn't trigger an episode. Everyone in my family is a holy mess and, as a friend told me, I need 'to be the adult in the family' right now. Which means I need to hold it together. I only hope I can.

As far as remission, I suppose the clock started ticking again once my hypomanic episode ended? How much time stable will it take for me to be in remission again? I don't get it...

I agree with the above