Rapid-cycling bipolar disorder is a mental illness in which people experience frequent mood swings. The person goes from periods of euphoria and high energy (mania) to periods of sadness and low energy (depression), or vice versa. Between cycles, the person has periods of mood stability.
It is a rare disorder, affecting less than 10% of people with bipolar disorder. Although the cause is unknown, it is believed that genetic and environmental factors contribute to its development.
Symptoms, if you are in a period of depression, will manifest as loss of self-esteem, fatigue, discouragement, insomnia, sluggishness, loss of appetite and there may be thoughts of death and/or suicide. During a period of mania, they will experience a state of euphoria or irritability, high self-esteem, false belief in special abilities, increased sexual desire, low need for sleep and behavioral disturbances (reckless behavior, excessive spending).
Diagnosis is based on the DSM-5 criteria, which include the presence of at least four episodes of depression and/or mania in one year, rapid alternation between episodes, and the exclusion of other psychiatric disorders.
Treatment is mixed, combining mood-stabilizing medications such as lithium, carbamazepine, and valproic acid with psychotherapy.
- American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR), Washington, DC 2022.
- Lee S, Tsang A, Kessler RC, et al. Rapid-cycling bipolar disorder: cross-national community study. Br J Psychiatry 2010; 196:217.
- Carvalho AF, Dimellis D, Gonda X, et al. Rapid cycling in bipolar disorder: a systematic review. J Clin Psychiatry 2014; 75:e578.
- The ICD-11 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders: Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines. World Health Organization. ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics. World Health Organization.
