predictability of episodes

[carmex]

i usually have my mixed episodes during weekends. are your episodes predictable? do they run like clockwork?

[AirMarshall]

ROFL

How convenient to avoid interfering with workdays.

When I did some mood charting I found that I had hypomanic episodes about every 3.5 - 4 months the previous few years prior to being diagnosed. In general the literature doesn't show any consistent pattern for bipolar disorder as a whole.

a.m.

[Anelize]

Every time I have surgery, I have an episode. THAT I can count on, and fortunately, now that the gallbladder is gone, I don't foresee any more operations. Otherwise, I never know.

[Phoenix_Rising]

When Aunt Flo comes to visit (bitch).

[sorrel]

Anything short enough to occur just during a weekend is not really a true bipolar episode. Maybe this is less related to bipolar disorder than to the stress associated with weekends (having no structure or routine, having screwy sleep schedules, maybe spending too much time with family if you live with them, etc).

For "actual" bipolar episodes, many people have a seasonal pattern (depression in fall/winter and mania/mixed in spring/summer.) Others have episodes triggered by certain things (stress or sleep deprivation, for example.) Others have no pattern.

[carmex]

I used to work weekdays, and weekends was my leisure time. I guess that's why my flavor of mi acts up during weekends (it would last roughly friday until tuesday) then back to being depressed again. my body's probably still used to the working schedule.

[fuchsia groan]

Anything short enough to occur just during a weekend is not really a true bipolar episode.

Definitely not bp 1, but could easily be bp 2 or bp NOS. Rapid cycling & all that.

My bp tends to seem worse when I have more free time (like on weekends), but I think that's just because I have more time and fewer distractions, so I notice it more.

[AirMarshall]

Actually it's fairly common for Bipolars to get out of whack from weekends by not keeping regular sleep hours, maybe having adult beverages, over stimulation, etc. There is advice and caution in the self help books about this.

a.m.

[CrazyBeautiful]

If you are having "mixed episodes" every weekend then that isn't bipolar. People who have bipolar are considered rapid cyclers if they cycle more than 4x per year. So every weekend or many weekends would be pretty excessive.

Besides that however, I have a hard time on weekends. I don't really drink, so it isn't that. It is the lack of structure. I end up sleeping late, then I don't want to do anything. I sit there miserable because I can't gather the motivation to do anything, but I don't want to sit home. This is a much bigger problem in the winter for me. I found that making plans and sticking to them helps me the most.

[fuchsia groan]

People who have bipolar are considered rapid cyclers if they cycle more than 4x per year. So every weekend or many weekends would be pretty excessive.

There is ultradian cycling too, though, where you cycle every day. My typical pattern is being depressed the first half of the day and then hypomanic the second half. If I spend more than a couple days in just one state (without any mixed state thrown in), it's pretty unusual for me. The first pdoc I went to about this dxed me bp 2, the second one fine-tuned it to bp NOS. So how is that not bipolar?

"Pretty excessive" - damn right. It is really fucking excessive, and I'm fucking sick of it.

AM - interesting insight about weekends, thanks!

[Reborn]

I'm kind of in the same camp as crazy beautiful.

Personally, my episodes are not predictable in the slightest. They come and go as they please. They're also extremely long though (on the order of 1 month+ for mania and 8 months+ for depression)