Hope is little, medical outcome bleak....

From Google health:

For the manic phase of bipolar disorder, antipsychotic medications, lithium, and mood stabilizers are typically used. For the depressive phase, antidepressants are sometimes used, with or without the manic phase treatment.


There is very little long-term evidence suggesting that any medication has great success in the maintenance phase. However, in studies that followed patients for 2 years, lithium and some antipsychotics were found to be moderately successful.

This means my swings, my down, depressive, and suicidal periods have little chance of stabalizing or improving overall, only for brief periods.

Read more about Bipolar after the jump
Overview


Bipolar disorder involves periods of excitability (mania) alternating with periods of depression. The "mood swings" between mania and depression can be very abrupt.



Symptoms

The manic phase may last from days to months and can include the following symptoms:



Agitation or irritation

Elevated mood

Hyperactivity

Increased energy

Lack of self-control

Racing thoughts

Inflated self-esteem (delusions of grandeur, false beliefs in special abilities)

Little need for sleep

Over-involvement in activities

Poor temper control

Reckless behavior

Binge eating, drinking, and/or drug use

Impaired judgment

Sexual promiscuity

Spending sprees

Tendency to be easily distracted

These symptoms of mania are seen with bipolar disorder I. In people with bipolar disorder II, hypomanic episodes involve similar symptoms that are less intense.



The depressed phase of both types of bipolar disorder involves very serious symptoms of major depression:



Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions

Eating disturbances

Loss of appetite and weight loss

Overeating and weight gain

Fatigue or listlessness

Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness and/or guilt

Loss of self-esteem

Persistent sadness

Persistent thoughts of death

Sleep disturbances

Excessive sleepiness

Inability to sleep

Suicidal thoughts

Withdrawal from activities that were once enjoyed

Withdrawal from friends

There is a high risk of suicide with bipolar disorder. While in either phase, patients may abuse alcohol or other substances, which can worsen the symptoms.



Sometimes there is an overlap between the two phases. Manic and depressive symptoms may occur simultaneously or in quick succession in what is called a mixed state.



Causes


Bipolar disorder affects men and women equally. It usually appears between ages 15 - 25. The exact cause is unknown, but it occurs more often in relatives of people with bipolar disorder.



Bipolar disorder results from disturbances in the areas of the brain that regulate mood.



There are two primary types of bipolar disorder. People with bipolar disorder I have had at least one fully manic episode with periods of major depression. In the past, bipolar disorder I was called manic depression.



People with bipolar disorder II seldom experience full-fledged mania. Instead they experience periods of hypomania (elevated levels of energy and impulsiveness that are not as extreme as the symptoms of mania). These hypomanic periods alternate with episodes of major depression.



A mild form of bipolar disorder called cyclothymia involves periods of hypomania and mild depression, with less severe mood swings. People with bipolar disorder II or cyclothymia may be misdiagnosed as having depression alone.

(from https://health.google.com/health/ref/Bipolar+disorder)

Long-Term Outcomes

According to my therapist, bipolar is a life-long disorder and the route of the disorder varies wildly.  Some people function rather normally, able to carry on normal lives. Others are somewhere in between carrying on a  normal life to being incapacitated by the disorder. Then there are those who reach a point where they are so disabled, they must go on disability for life because they cannot hold or maintain a job.