Most people associate bipolar disorder with mood swings that are relatively unpredictable. However, mood swings aren’t quite as frequent for most people as you might think. Each person with bipolar disorder experiences unique mood cycles. Some people only have one or two episodes of mania or hypomania in their lifetime. Others may have mood episodes when major life events trigger them or just a couple of times a year. 

When a person has four or more bipolar episodes in a 12-month period, it’s called rapid cycling bipolar affective disorder. For people with this pattern, taking care of their health, managing their stress level and receiving adequate treatment are important ways to manage their symptoms.

A systematic review of 119 peer-reviewed studies found that between 5% and 33.3% of people with bipolar disorder experienced rapid cycling within the previous year; 25.8% to 43% experienced rapid cycling in their lifetime. 

In this blog post, we’ll discuss what rapid cycling bipolar affective disorder is and what treatment approaches can help people with this condition manage their symptoms.

What is rapid cycling bipolar affective disorder?

Rapid cycling bipolar affective disorder is a specific mood cycle that some people with bipolar disorder experience. It’s not a permanent diagnosis, but rather a pattern that can come and go. People are said to have rapid cycling bipolar affective disorder when they experience four or more episodes of mania, hypomania, depression or a mixed state within a 12-month period. Rapid cycling can happen at any time in the course of bipolar disorder across a person’s lifetime.

Symptoms of a manic episode include high energy, feelings of invincibility and risk-taking behaviors. Hypomania is a less intense version of mania. Depressive episodes have similar symptoms to major depressive disorder (MDD). Some people will experience mixed episodes, which is when a person has symptoms of both mania and depression at the same time. 

What does rapid cycling bipolar affective disorder look like?

Oftentimes, a bipolar cycle will consist of a relatively short manic or hypomanic episode followed by a longer depressive episode. However, people don’t always follow this pattern. 

Manic and hypomanic episodes can last from a few days to several months, if untreated. Depressive episodes typically last from a couple of weeks to months or years.

It can be difficult to distinguish between mixed states and rapid cycling. A similar condition, cyclothymia, involves emotional highs and lows that aren’t intense enough to be considered true hypomania or depression. Cyclothymia is relatively rare. However, people with this condition can experience frequent mood swings in rapid succession. 

What’s the typical treatment approach for rapid cycling bipolar affective disorder? 

For most people, a combination of therapy and medication is necessary to manage bipolar disorder. It’s important to note that some antidepressants can trigger mood episodes. It’s more common for people with bipolar disorder to take mood stabilizers and sometimes antipsychotics. People with this condition may be tempted to stop taking their medication because of side effects or because they’re feeling better and believe they no longer need it. It’s essential to see a psychiatrist regularly for medication management and only take medication as directed. 

Having a good relationship with a therapist helps people with bipolar disorder navigate life challenges when they’re having intense feelings. It’s also a critical way to learn emotional regulation skills. During mood episodes that affect their ability to function, people with this condition may need a higher level of care. Both Residential Treatment and structured outpatient programs are available.

Get help with rapid cycling bipolar affective disorder at Lightfully

Managing any type of bipolar disorder is a lot for one person to handle. Many people with this condition will need a higher level of mental health care at some point during their lifetime. Are you or a loved one having an intense mood episode, or are your moods changing too quickly to keep up with? There is hope that you can start feeling like yourself again.

At Lightfully, we provide primary mental health care for the whole person. We go beyond your diagnosis and symptoms to talk about the processes you need in your life that will help you care for your mental health. We provide four levels of treatment with virtual options for both our Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) and our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP).

Are you considering a higher level of mental health care? Get in touch with our Admissions Concierge Team or contact us with any questions you have. Let’s figure out what you need to manage your rapid cycling bipolar affective disorder together.