Short but harsh moodswings

Hey guys, I wanted to hear your thoughts on a particular issue I've had. I suddenly started to feel extremely depressed Monday afternoon... Seriously considering suicide, cutting a lot, anger, horrible self loathing, not sleeping, painfully tired, in horrible mental agony in general. Felt like a full blown depressive episode, and a bad one at that. Then, Wednesday afternoon... It vanished. I feel completely fine now. What was that?? As far as I know, the diagnostic criteria doesn't include moodswings this short, a depressive episode has to be weeks long, so it doesn't seem to fit in. Is this a bipolar thing or something else?? I've also had extremely short bouts of manic symptoms too (like having uncharacteristic bursts of energy, thinking I'm a god or an angel, bizarre behavior, inability to sleep, etc) that last mere hours. These moodswings are as severe as my full-blown episodes, just extremely short. Have you ever experienced this? Is this /a thing/ or what?? (I'm formally diagnosed with bipolar 2 by the way)

Yes rapid moodswings are common especially when unstable. I saw you're tapering off Abilify so the symptoms do come back sometimes stronger so you'll want to work with your pdoc to manage them.

z7z wrote:Yes rapid moodswings are common especially when unstable. I saw you're tapering off Abilify so the symptoms do come back sometimes stronger so you'll want to work with your pdoc to manage them.

Thank you! I'm seeing my psychiatrist in 13 days so hopefully we can sort something out then.

There does exist a Bipolar I type called Rapid cycling. Here is some good information on it.

https://www.verywellmind.com/rapid-cycl ... ion-380488

I've had episodes last half a year, one month at a time, or cycle several times a day. For me it's all over the place.

Also, does anyone know what the difference is between a mixed episode and rapid cycling within one day? Seems to me they're the same thing and I haven't heard a convincing explanation of what makes them different.

@Son, I read the explanations in this book, The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide by David J. Miklowitz, PhD

you experience and have

pg. 33--met the criteria for major depressive disorder and mania nearly every day for at least a week. Some people describe mixed mania as the "tired but wired" feeling. You can feel extraordinarily pessimistic and hopeless, fatigued, and unable to concentrate, but still feel "revved," anxious, irritable, driven, and sleep deprived, with your thoughts moving very rapidly.

My mixed episodes usually have me teary-eyed and energetic but so unable to concentrate. I become severely depressed and then it feels like I feel better and act better for a short period of time, then the depression hits suddenly really badly. It could be sort of like ultra-radian cycling because it switches back and forth so rapidly. But the difference for me is it lasts a really long time, without relief it seems. At least for me, a mixed episode really lasts like 3 weeks and then I just can't function.

pg. 35--Rapid cycling can accompany either bipolar I or II disorder. In rapid cycling, people quickly switch back and forth from mania or hypomania or mixed disorder to depression, with four or more distinct episodes in a single year. Some people have ultra-radian cycling, which means switching from one mood pole to the other within a single 24-hour period.

With ultra-radian, I'm assuming it doesn't meet the criteria of lasting more than 1 week, but I would see what it's really like, since I don't experience it. With a mixed episode, I continue going downhill and eventually I have had to get hospitalized or need a med change. (in more recent years). I am wondering what others have to share???

@ quietgirl2538

Thanks for the response. When I said rapid cycling I did mean the hourly variety (I guess that's ultradian?). Should have been more specific. So when someone says they rapid cycle throughout the day, why is that not just a mixed state?

I guess I've always thought of the hourly variety and not the monthly/a few times a year variety when I hear "rapid cycling," because that's all I've really ever known... my episodes switching a few times a year. And that doesn't seem out of the ordinary to me.

So when someone says they rapid cycle throughout the day, why is that not just a mixed state?

I'm just gonna throw out a wild guess that your feelings completely change, from mania to depression with ultraradian cycling. In a mixed state, you 'can' feel both at the same time. Maybe? I can't speak for ultraradian cycling, but in a mixed episode, you can be prone to becoming suicidal (I have been every single time).