One to two week cycles of Mania or Depression are standard to Bipolar type 1, the length of suffering from the mental illness altogether however is indefinite without treatment
There are many types of Bipolar however, and without going into great detail it would be impossible to cover all the possibilities, however what I stated above would be counted as 'standard'
The disorder itself, or a cycle?
My first cycle had a Manic phase lasting about 9 months, a Hypomanic phase lasting 2 to 3 months, and a Depressive phase lasting about 5 months. That was followed by a series of shorter and much less intense cycles spanning about 2 years before things returned to "normal".
as long as humans
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder is generally caused by genetics.
The correct term is bipolar disorder. Some people call it a disease though.
Oppositional defiance disorder is something one grows out of unlike bipolar disorder which is permanent. Bipolar disorder is accompanied by mood swings being on top of the world one moments and in despair the next and these moods can last for weeks without signs of improvement. There are other symptoms as well that can help a parent distinguish whether or that is the case. Bipolar disorder is very difficult to live with and should be diagnosed as soon as possible. The book 'the bipolar child' will tell you what you need to know.
a disorder
http://blogs.psychcentral.com/bipolar/2009/01/bipolar-disorder-qa-how-close-are-we-to-a-bipolar-cure/
Yes, stress makes Bipolar Disorder behavior worse. My daughter is Bipolar.
It's not known to be an effective treatment for bipolar disorder.
Bipolar Disorder, not otherwise specified. It means a form of Bipolar Disorder that doesn't really fit the other diagnostic categories.
They may be used in conjunction with mood stabilizing medication, which are used for bipolar disorder, but they are not used alone as a solution to bipolar disorder.
Manic depression, or manic depressive disorder is nowadays more commonly known as Bipolar disorder or Bipolar affective disorder. It can also be referred to as Hypomania due to public unawareness.