[BatsBelfry]

My question is just that really. Do you feel the depression side maybe longer and stronger than the high side. Personally, I can't remember the last time I had an up period. Seems like if goes from baseline to long periods of depression. Maybe it's me or maybe it's the med cocktail I take. Just checking to see what others feel.

[Miss Laura]

I'm more up than down tbh my depressions are very mild now a days compared to before my diagnosis

[Daonnachd]

BPII is described as presenting depression more frequently, more profoundly than hypomania. What you're describing fits the literature.

[TheSeaCat]

I seem to usually be in the low state as opposed to hypomanic granted the lower dose of Seroquel does tend to send me into Hypomanic episodes, since it is so good at combating the depression.

[Christopher1990]

Yes, its almost always a low that I'm dealing with. But the mania is more dangerous than my depressions.
I think the meds I'm on are mainly to prevent mania. They do a good job of that. But I am not on anything that seems to help the depression.

yep the depression side is worse for me

When I was younger, probably 15 to 34, my highs seemed to be much more frequent than my lows. My psychiatrist once said he thought mild hypomania was my baseline mood, though I have bipolar type 1. Those states seemed to last very long-term with pretty upbeat stability, and were a mix of euphoria with some Tasmanian Devil tirades mixed in much more often than welcome.

It's hard to count, but before about 37ish I think I had only about 5 to 7 pure severe depressions that each lasted a few to perhaps six weeks max. During that period, I probably reached full blown manic 5 or so times, too, but relatively briefly. As I aged, mixed features really started up, though I know I had a couple mixed periods at my worst when younger, too. I was mostly seriously mixed in my mid 30s, often full manic mixed sometimes with psychosis during my first through sixth and my tenth hospitalizations. The other hospitalizations were either pure depressed or mixed more on the depressive end. After that, I had some long hypomanias again with stable periods, and a couple ultra brief full manias. Then low grade depression seemed to linger for quite a while.

At about 43, I had some nice stable time with just "blips" (as I call them) mostly hypomanias, and then low energy times. A couple family tragedies then lowered my moods briefly. My last significant episode was this past May when an anxious mania went very briefly psychotic. Since then, I've been so-so to upbeat. Lately, I haven't felt that great but it's more physical than mental.

That's been my experience. I'm the worst when it comes to tracking my moods but I go 2-3 majority of months low, with maybe at max a month of high before crashing low again. When my therapist first diagnosed me as bipolar, I couldn't see it... until I looked back over the last 3 years with him and realized.. wow, yeah.

Depression has always been my primary concern, and to this day still is -- the hypomania is a nice break from the sadness albeit a little risk-taking and impulsive. I gotta take what I can get. But to answer your question-- yes, my therapist has told me it's very common for those with bipolar II to follow a longer depression cycle.

[Wild Coyote]

I go through lengthy and profound depressions. BPII.


WC

[tecomsin]

For the last 4 or 5 years I have either been depressed, sometimes more so than others, or psychotic. The vast majority of the time depressed. I don't know what it means to be normal mood anymore.

I think I spend more time depressed, but they don't get as severe as my manias.

[Guiness187055]

I am pretty stable now but usually it's more and longer lows than highs.

I definitely spend more time depressed than hypomanic. I'm hypomanic in the Spring. The rest of the year i'm depressed. This Spring i had an exercise hypomania. It was relatively harmless. I've had social and spending-spree hypomanias which were harmful so i'm grateful. I seem to be mellowing with age (52).

[BlossomingLen]

Hello! I hope you're all doing well today!

My depression definitely lingers a lot more than the other. When I get mania episodes, though they're short, they're very powerful and I completely black out. I don't remember anything from my episodes besides what people tell me--

But otherwise, my depressive episodes are more consistent and last a lot longer.

[avlady]

i also go through profound depressions. my highs hardly ever last if at all, maybe i'm a manic depressive?any thoughts?

[Wild Coyote]

Originally Posted by BlossomingLen

Hello! I hope you're all doing well today!

My depression definitely lingers a lot more than the other. When I get mania episodes, though they're short, they're very powerful and I completely black out. I don't remember anything from my episodes besides what people tell me--

But otherwise, my depressive episodes are more consistent and last a lot longer.

Hi! It's been a very long time; good to have you posting again!
Welcome back!


WC

[Wild Coyote]

Originally Posted by avlady

i also go through profound depressions. my highs hardly ever last if at all, maybe i'm a manic depressive?any thoughts?

Sounds like you might fit somewhere on the bipolar spectrum. What does your pdoc say about this?


WC

[Pookyl]

I have either mixed episodes or manic episodes.
Last year I had more mixed episodes than manic.
This year I’ve had pretty much an even amount of both.

[Blueberrybook]

I definitely spend more time depressed than manic or hypomanic.

[BatsBelfry]

It's good to know that I'm not alone in this. I really thought it was just me and that something deeper was wrong with me. Thanks all!!!

I believe a person could live a life of mostly hardships, but if the pleasures and gifts they had at times (with "gifts" being a widely interpreted word) were treasures, their life could be viewed wonderful in the end.

[BipolaRNurse]

I tend to run about 50-50, although sometimes I'll have an extra hypo/manic episode in the early fall. I don't know if it's because I have bipolar 1 rather than 2, but most of the time I'm pretty stable, though.

I tend not to dip low very often. I *think* I’m mixed right now, which is the lowest I’ve been since 2015. And the last time I swung low before that was 2008; so not often. I think my baseline personality tends to run in the hypomanic range, with a problematic elevation here and there. The lithium keeps things mostly under control, but I seem to have a breakout phase once a year or two.

[scatterbrained04]

I'm BPII, so I spend a lot of time in depression. It's usually what I'm contending with.

I don't know. I've been called psychotic and manic when I never noticed it. Sometimes I don't even recognize depression because it's more of a very minor apathetic depression rather than a "sad" depression. And mixed? Well, I know I haven't gotten that in a looooooong time. I think October 2017?

I'll just say 50-50 manic-depressed. Or maybe 60-40 manic-depressed.