[TheSadGirl]

I am wondering if you are more frequently dealing with mania or depression.

I have Bipolar 1. My natural "resting" state is hypomania. While I do get depressed, I have more issues with mania. That is particularly hard because I enjoy mania until it kabooms on me.

Is there a state you deal with more or plagues you more? I understand Bipolar 2 diags don't go full manic, but please comment on hypomania, depression or other issues as well.

[Blue_Bird]

I have schizoaffective disorder Bipolar type. I used to deal with mania more often but the mood stabilizer I'm on is very effective. In general mania was always a bigger problem than depression over the years though. The symptoms I experience most frequently nowadays (not currently as I'm stable) are psychotic symptoms. Maybe my disorder leans more towards the schizophrenic part of the spectrum these days because my moods have been pretty stable for a long time now, with the exception of a mixed episode a few months ago.

I'll add that as a teen I experienced severe depression more often but things changed over time as I got older

[Gabyunbound]

When I was young and not yet diagnosed/on medication, I experienced a great deal of depression as well as hypomania, but it was the depression that affected me the most.

Now on meds (along with lifestyle changes) that have kept me stable for long periods of time, depression really only affects me after hypo/mania episodes; afterwards I just sink into an awful depression. But nowadays, if I don't get hypo/manic, I don't get depressed, I only get down due to environmental factors.

What has always affected me most when hypomania turns into mania are psychotic symptoms: paranoia, seeing/hearing things. Very scary stuff. Increased doses of antipsychotics have generally successfully combated that, though, when it happens.

Hi TheSadGirl. I have bipolar type 1. Over the course of my life, manic states have been much more of an issue for me than depressive ones. I will say that though I have been full blown manic many many times, I also had a tendency to be in extremely extended hypomanic episodes. Months and months. Actually, my psychiatrist believes that my baseline is mild hypomania, but I think of myself more as an upbeat joie de vivre type of gal. The extended hypomanias I just referred to were more moderate to high-level, just below full blown. Usually, in my youth, I would only reach full-blown after long hypomanic periods. As I aged, I was having more full-blown manias that came on quickly.

I do not want to totally minimize my depressive periods, though. I suffered because of them, too. I was a little bit less disabled from them in my youth, but I remember them well. They also lasted shorter periods back then. Really the longest period(s) of depression I experienced were in later years. I had a really long doozy that followed years of way too high manic states. Basically, I finally crashed big time. When I'm purely depressed, I basically feel paralyzed.

I'll also mention that mixed episodes (mostly on the manic end) have been major concerns for me and my most dangerous and distressing episodes. That is usually the only time I ever have suicidal ideations. Not when purely depressed. Off the top of my head, I'd say that 6 out of my 10 hospitalizations were when I was in severe mixed states, many with psychosis involved. Two were for pure mania (one of which included psychosis), and two more for pure depression (one of which involved psychosis), totaling 10. It is also very common for me to transition from mania to depression, or mania to baseline, in the form of a mixed state.

Switching episodes is not always a given for me. I can become manic and then baseline and then manic again, then baseline, without depression. I believe the opposite has happened, as well.

Although I have had plenty of stressful periods, and some grief, in the last few years, I don't believe I've been in a bona fide depressive episode during this time. I have had a number of hypomanias and two brief full blown. I haven't been hospitalized for some years now. Improved insight on my part and hubby's, a responsive psychiatrist, coping skills, and a good medication mix all help.

[Zeroid]

I'm BP2. I don't recognize my hypomania when it's happening, but I do mostly recognise the depression, so that feels more prevalent.

[Ralau]

Before I was diagnosed and put on medication I used to swing quickly between depression and hypo/mania. My depressions were more severe and lasted longer than my manias, so it probably seemed like I was depressed more often. According to my own experience I got depressed always after mania and lack of sleep made me easily manic. So I'd say I had somewhat equal amount of both episodes, but depression was the one that affected me more.

Now when I've been on meds (the ones that have worked properly) my only problem is hypomania, and it's usually so mild that it doesn't cause any problems. Only once during the past year someone got worried about me due to the hypomanic symptoms.

Right now I'm on a new medication and for the past 2 days I've felt the same way when I feel when I'm depressed, but it could be because of several reasons so I don't want to panic yet. But yeah, nowadays when on meds it's been hypomania and rarely short periods of mild depression that I've been experiencing.

I'm not sure, but I think my "natural state" would be mildly depressed.

[bpcyclist]

Very interesting question. Mine was definitely childhood-onset BP1, though no-one recognized it as such at the time. I spent a lot of time hypomanic as a kid, then had my first major depressive episode after a breakup when I was 17. I was hypomanic on and off all through grad school and postgrad stuff, but no-one picked up on it because I was so productive and sort of pretty good at what I was doing. People just were admiring and thought I was "an animal," as some used to say, affectionately, because I got so much done.

Had another massive depressive episode in my early thirties. This was recognized and treated. It was stubborn. Then, a couple of years later, I had my first full-blown manic episode. This was, unfortunately, not treated aggressively enough. I should have been hospitalized long-term, but instead was discharged after 5 days. The mania persisted, I became psychotic and then the thermonuclear detonation of my life occurred when I had a car accident and another driver was injured. This was June of 2007.

Since then, I have moved between four distinct states: mania, depression, hypomania, and euthymia. Most of the time is spent in the first three and my baseline on lithium tends toward depressed. Off lithium, it is nearly always hypomania. I may have psychosis with all four. I have a lot of trouble with psychosis and I believe my illness is quite schizoaffective-like. The single most dangerous state for me is without question when I am floridly manic and psychotic at the same time. There is no telling what I might do when in that state. The hospital is a requirement then.

[wildflowerchild25]

I supposedly have bp 1, though I have my doubts as to whether I’ve experienced full blown mania. I’ve definitely had hypomania and mixed episodes. But I tend to get depressed more often, and depression is a much more severe situation for me because I get suicidal so quickly. I also tend to get psychotic in depression, not hypomania, which is unusual.

On the meds I’m on now I’m pretty stable. I just had to increase them and add one because of a depression episode brought on by stress, but I’m feeling pretty good now.

Depression ruins my life. Hypomania doesn’t. Which is why I think I have bp 2.

Originally Posted by TheSadGirl

I am wondering if you are more frequently dealing with mania or depression.

I have Bipolar 1. My natural "resting" state is hypomania. While I do get depressed, I have more issues with mania. That is particularly hard because I enjoy mania until it kabooms on me.

Is there a state you deal with more or plagues you more? I understand Bipolar 2 diags don't go full manic, but please comment on hypomania, depression or other issues as well.

depression

it's so blah

[*Beth*]

Apparently my "baseline" is mild mania/mild depression (so mixed, definitely). Euphoric mania is terrific! Dysphoric mania is hellish, and depression is pure, raw misery.

[Daonnachd]

I have type II bipolar disorder so it stands to reason that I generally fight depression. Fortunately, ECT keeps it pretty well at bay.

[cashart10]

I have been diagnosed with both bipolar I and schizoeffective so I’m not sure which to claim but I think my current pdoc has me listed as BPI w/psychotic features. For me, the depression lasts far longer (has lasted years) and I can become suicidal. However, if I experience psychotic mania or mixed episodes, they are far more dangerous and have lasted sometimes 6 months or more.

[HALLIEBETH87]

I honestly don’t know because I cycle so often. I just got through two months of mixed/manic psychosis. Both my mania and depression get serious fast so idk which is worse.

[VerMOZZica]

I`ve been diagnosed as bipolar 2. I mainly deal with depression and it really sucks.

[depressedIRL21]

Bipolar 1 here. So far, I have had more frequent hypomaniac episodes (only had one full maniac episode) and depressive episodes that are more longer. I also have GAD which makes all of my episodes have a anxiety focus. When I am maniac/hypomaniac, I get anxious when I am not getting things done at my pace and when I am depressed I am constantly worrying and catastrophizing.

[Travelinglady]

I'm type II, so I deal more with depression.

[BipolaRNurse]

For years, mania was a more frequent visitor than depression. But since I've been well medicated, I have very mild hypomanic and depressive episodes; in fact, I haven't had a severe one of either type in five years now. I'm pretty predictable; I almost always become hypomanic in the spring/summer and depressed in the fall/winter. This year I skipped mania altogether. I hope I can get by without a depressive episode this winter.

[Tucson]

My baseline is depression. From time to time, I can become hypomanic, and more self-destructive. I am finding CBD helps.

[Fuzzybear]

Originally Posted by raging vortex

depression

it's so blah

mostly that grrrrrrrrrr

[FluffyDinosaur]

I used to have a fairly even mix of depression and hypomania during my twenties. It was usually a few weeks of hypomania, then a few weeks of depression, then euthymia for a while. Then at some point I started getting longer episodes, including what I now think was a hypomanic episode that lasted for months.

Unfortunately, I'm now depressed about 60% of the time, with mixed episodes thrown in now and then (those are the worst in my opinion). These days I'm happy when I just get a couple of weeks away from depression. The depression and mixed episodes are also way more severe than they used to be.

I just came out of a hypomania. It was only a week, but I cherished every second of it because they're so rare these days. I did buy about $1000 worth of stuff I don't really need, but it was still worth it. Now I'm hoping I don't have to pay for it with another bout of depression.

My diagnosis is bipolar 2, but I have been getting an increasing amount of psychotic features during mixed episodes. In my mind I've been thinking about it as a kind of bipolar 1.5 now. I don't know if it will progress further or not. I'm still hoping I can somehow go back to how things used to be before they escalated to this point, but I don't know if it's possible.