[Moose72]

In the March 2019 edition of Scientific American, called "The Undiscovered Illness". It asks whether or not there is a unipolar Mania disorder separate from bipolar and unipolar depression. I'm finding it a good read!

[fern46]

Interesting. I've never been through the depression. Only mania. It was a mixed type of mania with a lot of anger and aggression, but I've never had periods of depression only.

I have heard that there are people who only have mania and not significant or any depression (that meet depression criteria). Does the article say how common that is?

When I was younger, I had more hypomania than anything else. I have bipolar type 1, and have had several full blown manic episodes (some with psychosis), but it didn't always get to that point. Between 14 and 33 years old, I am certain I became full blown manic at least five times, but I couldn't even count the amount of time I was likely hypomanic. A lot! I can count about three severe depressions over that 19 years, plus maybe fewer than 10 milder ones. Sometimes I had mixed features with the episodes, but not nearly as often as I've had since 33 years old.

During the last 10 to 15 years, my time depressed likely equalled my time manic or hypomanic, but mixed episodes predominated. My worst episodes in my life have been manic with mixed features. They were my most dangerous and traumatic episodes.

[Moose72]

It says of those with bipolar 3% had unipolar mania.

[Gabyunbound]

Before starting on Lamictal, I suffered from a great deal of depression, as well as hypomania.

Since being on Lamictal, I have not suffered from a clinical depression except directly after a hypomanic or manic episode, I think brought on by shame and sadness from having experienced the episode itself. I don't know if this has anything to do with the article.

Since my full-blown manic episode, I have continued to experience psychotic symptoms, which I hadn't had before.

So, if nothing else, my experience of Bipolar has certainly changed over the years. Since Lamictal, I've experienced more hypo/mania than clinical depression. Maybe I've learned better coping skills? I just don't know.

That's definitely an interesting read -- I suffer more from the depression than my own hypomania (or depending on who you are-- mania), but I've looked back and can see it. I wouldn't be surprised if unipolar mania became a talking point in mental health circles for awhile.