Sefira: How Long is a Bipolar Episode?

(Psych Central) Now that we're all (hopefully, still) counting by weeks, how about this one? How many weeks does a typical episode of bipolar depression last for? 


Just to be clear, and possibly dispel some popular misconceptions, Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder in the same family as depression, but it is characterized by a cycling from depression to mania. The images we get from popular culture tend to paint individuals who suffer from this disorder as having some sort of tragic light switch that can flip their moods at any moment. 
Well... sorry.


Some people, it is true, do have rapid cycles, but a study recently published in The Archives of General Psychiatry followed 219 patients for five years and found that the median duration for mood episodes (either type: mania or depression) was 13 weeks. 


Patients with rapid cycles fared worse than patients overall, as did patients whose first episode was more severe. Almost 75% of patients' mood episodes resolved within a year.  

Reference:  Solomon, DA, Andrew C. Leon; William H. Coryell; Jean Endicott; Chunshan Li; Jess G. Fiedorowicz; Lara Boyken; Martin B. Keller. (2010). Arch Gen Psychiatry — Abstract: Longitudinal Course of Bipolar I Disorder: Duration of Mood Episodes. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 67, 339-347.

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Further Reading

For individuals and families coping with bipolar disorder:
The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide: What You and Your Family Need to Know(2002) by David J. Milkowitz. New York: Guilford Press.


Perhaps the best book on bipolar disorder (adults) for both patients and families. Based on the author's research that education about the disorder and its treatment can alter the course of the illness, this self-help book helps readers identify early warning signs of mood episodes and seek treatment. Filled with good advice on stopping mood swings from taking over life.


Autobiography:

An Unquiet Mind(1997) by Kay R. Jamison. New York: Random House.

The author of this autobiography is a psychologist studying the connection between creativity and bipolar disorder who also has the illness herself. In this compelling book, she discusses the risks of publicizing her illness and the mixed blessing of the disorder that complicated her life while also contributing to her creativity and empathy.