Are You Suffering From Rapid Cycling Bipolar Disorder?

Life is a series of ups and downs for people suffering from bipolar disorder. For some of them, the ups and downs can occur very, very fast ... and in rapid succession. Hence, rapid cycling bipolar disorder is a condition of the emotional ailment that’s been coined to describe such a situation. The subject may feel depressed during the holiday season, and such a feeling may subside only to emerge once again a few months later on Valentines day. If the process repeats itself regularly, with a frequency of four or more manic episodes per year, then he or she is suffering from rapid cycling bipolar disorder.

Rapid cycling bipolar disorder should, however, be differentiated from what’s generally called a switch. If the subject is experiencing a bout with depression one moment, and extreme giddiness the next, with no lull in between, then such is a switch and this is considered a worse type of bipolar disorder. It’s also known as biphasic cycling.

There are two types of extremities at play here: depression and mania. Biphasic cycling is a sudden shift from depression to mania, or vice versa. If this sudden shift occurs more than once, then the condition is called multi-phasic cycling, which is even worse than biphasic cycling.

Rapid cycling bipolar disorder, on the other hand, involves normal periods in between manic episodes. The person may experience extreme depression one day, and feel okay the next day. Such lull can last for a few days, until he starts to feel depressed again. If episodes happen more than four times a year, as stated, then we can classify the person's case under rapid cycling.

Indeed, the distinctive feature of rapid cycling is the period in between shifts. There should be an interval between a manic state and a depressed one. Without such a period, it isn’t rapid cycling.

Also, as can be determined from this example, another distinctive feature of rapid cycling is the frequency. The shifts should happen at least four times in a year, otherwise, no cycle will be established, and the operative word in this term "rapid cycling" would be absent.

Though it may sound serious, the severity of the extremities does vary. Regardless, rapid cycling and bipolar disorder, can be treated, but finding the solution may take time. Treatment is usually applied through the taking of medications and/or counseling sessions.