How many hypomanic/manic episodes have you had so far in your life?

I'm glad that your memory loss has! Mine is from years ago, and I haven't had a lot of luck loosening up. I'm debating sharing some of what I remember tonight in a post. Three episodes of hypomania/mania just feels marginal to me, but each have been earth-shattering and life-ruining. It's just weird to have so few. I know bipolar is different for everyone but I'm having a hard time recognizing what it actually is for me lately.

Hard to count. According to various Ts quite a few, but I didn't see doctors or Ts when everything was brilliant and shiny. Sure people told me to calm myself and get some sleep but what did they know?

More hypomanic episodes than I can count, but only 2 full blown pure manic episodes. Before I was stabilised on my current meds 16 months ago I rapid cycled almost constantly most of my life with some big breaks in between. My pattern is to go hypomanic then mixed then hypomanic on the way out to stability. I guess some of my severe mixed episodes included full blown mania rather than hypomania. So, maybe a few more manic episodes to count. I am 44 and have most likely had Bipolar since my early teens, but wasn't diagnosed until I was 37.