Are you bipolar or an addict looking for insight from a like-minded soul? Have a loved one suffering from bipolar or addiction and want some inside advice? While I’m not a doctor or medical expert, I can tell you about my experiences with this dual diagnosis and look to support others with replies. Note that your submission may be used in an upcoming blog post, although names will be changed.
This week James G. asks:
My mood has been all over the place lately. My doctor said I’m a rapid cycler, but what does that mean exactly?
Rapid cycling occurs when a person flips from manic to depressed, or vice versa, within a matter of days, weeks, months, or even hours.
For some, bipolar symptoms change with the seasons: manic in the spring or fall, depressed in the winter.
A person who has rapid-cycling bipolar has four or more manic and depressive episodes a year, according to Web MD.
I thought I was a rapid cycler when I was first diagnosed bipolar. Leading up to my diagnosis, I was working at MTV News in the spring of 2008, when I had a manic meltdown. I subsequently went on medical leave, during which time I would shuffle between periods of sadness and elation, sometimes within the same day. However, once my antipsychotic kicked in, I stabilized. I wasn’t a rapid cycler after all.
Rapid cycling is a concern for 10-20 percent of the 5.7 million Americans living with bipolar disorder, says Web MD. The majority of rapid cyclers experience depression more often than mania. Also, those who cycle rapidly tend to be women with bipolar type II.
The tendency of rapid cycling can vary over the course of a bipolar person’s lifetime. A person may experience rapid cycling for a period and then move back to a typical cycle or remission.
According to Web MD, some antidepressants, such as Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft, have proven ineffective in treating depression in rapid cyclers. Doctors often do not prescribe any antidepressants at all, leaning toward mood stabilizers like Lithium and Depakote.
Suicide is a danger for people with rapid-cycling bipolar. People who are rapid cyclers are also hospitalized more often than traditional bipolar types.
Substance abuse is a factor as well. Studies show that alcoholism and drug addiction are more common in families with a predilection toward rapid-cycling bipolar, according to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.
Psychotherapy is one of the most important treatment options for rapid cyclers.
Rapid cycling often seems unmanageable and, although it may take a long time to figure out an optimal medication regimen, there is always hope. The state of you, your overall happiness and outlook will change for the better once your treatment proves effective.
