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    Chronicles of an Atypical Mind — Unfiltered and Unapologetic

    Personal stories, science-based articles, and resources on autism, bipolar disorder, and atypical cognition.

    Lived Experiences

    Bipolar disorderLived Experiences

    crash.execute(): account of a depressive episode

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    It is well known to almost all people with bipolar disorder, some experiencing it far more often than their (hypo)manic episodes and very often for much longer. While a hypomanic episode may last only a few days, depression can last for months. I discuss it in detail in a dedicated article. I have experienced it an incalculable number of times, notably due to the rapid-cycling nature of my bipolar disorder, and I present here the account of one of them.

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    Bipolar disorderLived Experiences

    fatal.error(): account of a mixed episode

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    Less discussed in the literature yet experienced by 40% of bipolar individuals at least once in their lives, the mixed episode can sometimes appear without warning but often between a manic episode and a depressive episode. I discussed in a dedicated article how this episode presents both (hypo)manic and depressive characteristics. Here, I recount my experience of a mixed episode that was devastating.

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    Bipolar disorderLived Experiences

    illusion.load(): an account of a hypomanic episode

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    Following my articles on episodes of bipolar disorder, it is time to illustrate them with a vivid and raw narrative. This article will be the first in a chronological series recounting my lived experience of the bipolar cycles that haunt my life. Hypomania may seem appealing, but it represents my first danger. It makes me productive, yet it is also the earliest warning sign. Because hypomania often gives rise to a succession of phases leading to an almost inevitable final crash.

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    Bipolar disorderLived Experiences

    Caught in the rapid cycling of bipolar disorder

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    Rapid cycling in bipolar disorder remained a blind spot for me for a long time. Yet the signs had been there all along. I wrote many of the articles on this blog within just a few days. A month earlier, I had written two books in less than two weeks. Before that, in March 2025, I went through an especially stimulating period during which I was socializing from morning until night. In January, the same pattern had already occurred. The common thread? Each time, it started with a hypomanic episode that eventually progressed into a manic episode. In September 2025, my psychiatrist confirmed that my bipolar disorder had entered a rapid-cycling pattern. That was when I realized how little I actually knew about this form of bipolar disorder, despite it being associated with a more severe course and often a more challenging treatment.

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