I saw this on a bumper sticker. I had to laugh. That is the epitome of rapid cycling bipolar disorder.
I have had so many mood swings in a day they were hard to count. I look at my mood chart and the thing looks like and EEG- or is it EKG! I should know the difference between the two!
I’m not having rapid cycling like I used to. It shows up sometimes, but when I’m in crisis it’s all day long.
I have been stable for almost a month now. This is the longest stability I have had in six years. I am thankful because I can finally work.
Julie
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Julie A. Fast best selling author of Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder, Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder and Get it Done When You're Depressed is a critically acclaimed six-time author, award winning bipolar disorder advice columnist, national speaker, and sought after expert in the fields of bipolar disorder and depression. Julie’s work specializes in helping people manage all aspects of their daily lives -despite the complications that bipolar disorder creates. To learn how to personalize a plan to help yourself or a loved one find and create stability that ensures the quality of life that we all deserve, visit: http://www.bipolarhappens.com
I woke up depressed. I was up a few nights ago so I’m obviously rapid cycling. I called a friend to tell her I was manic- this is part of my treatment plan- and she said, “Ok. What happens next?” I said, “Well, I feel so good right now, but I will probably go down. It always happens even though I never believe it will. I just have to look at the way it has been in the past.” Two days later I am down.
When I was sitting in my bed with what I call stunned depression- this is where I just sit and worry and can’t seem to move- I used my drill sergeant voice I talk about in my last book and I said, “Get up Julie. Get up and get on with your day. Get out of this bed!” And I did.
I feel better.
I don’t like bipolar disorder, but I’m glad I have a plan to keep me going. I may cry today and get upset at my life today- but it’s an illness and I have to remember that.
Bipolar disorder is an illness that affects a person’s ability to regulate their own moods.
There are two types of bipolar disorder: Bipolar 1(one) and Bipolar II (two). People with bipolar I experience full blown mania while people with bipolar II have a milder form of mania called hypomania. This is the main difference between the two types of bipolar disorder. All people with bipolar disorder have similar depression symptoms, though people with bipolar II tend to spend more time in depression. Both types of the illness can have a complication called rapid cycling. This is where a person has more than four mood swing a year. I have to laugh at this one sometimes as I have such severe rapid cycling, I can have four mood swings in a few hours! It’s very important that you know if you have bipolar I or II and if you have rapid cycling. Your diagnosis strongly affects treatment choices.
No matter what type of bipolar disorder you have, it’s a serious illness that has to be treated with a comprehensive plan.
The term rapid cycling can be very confusing. I recently asked my co-author Dr. John Preston for a clear explanation:
Rapid cycling is at least four discrete episodes during a 12 month period (these can be mania, hypomania, or depression). The term ultra-rapid cycling is not precisely defined but many refer to this as having possibly monthly cycles (e.g. 12 per year)….untradian cycling is where there are not really discrete manic or depressive episodes, but the person is extremely emotionally labile, with chaotic and intense mood changes that occur every day or several times during a day. One way to describe it is that they experience intense emotional instability….some mood shifts are in response to stressful events (e.g. an argument with a friend), but some are unprovoked (seem to come out of the blue and not associated with a specific trigger)
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Do you have rapid cycling? If you’re not sure, talk to your doctor. This is important information as it can affect the drugs you take and how you deal with triggers. My book Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder talks about the different types of bipolar disorder diagnoses and how they relate to rapid cycling. I have ultradian rapid cycling, which is why I have to be so very careful with triggers. I do have very distinct depression and mania episodes. This shows you how the terms can describe part of your diagnosis, but not see the whole picture. Ultradian is a new term that isn’t used much. The term ultra-rapid cycling is more common. It’s very important that you know if you have bipolar one or bipolar two and if rapid cycling is part of your diagnosis.
Best Mental Health Advice Column in the United States goes to Julie A. Fast
June 2007
Mental Health America recognizes superlative media coverage of mental health issues by journalists in television, print, radio, online, wire, photography and entertainment. The MHA media awards are the only peer judged competition for mental health reporting in the United States.
Along with 12 other media professionals, Julie Fast will receive a recognition award in Washington DC on June 8, 2007.
"Mental illnesses ruins lives, but it doesn’t have to be this way. I want my readers to know that if I can have a productive life despite being mentally ill, they can do so as well. The Mental Health America award helps me see that my writing does make a difference and it certainly makes me want to continue educating the world on how to treat mental illness successfully. It is possible!” - Julie Fast
