text: which one is more severe: bipolar i or bipolar ii.........?   no real answer. both carry an identical suicide risk (20-25% attempt it, 15% succeed).  bipolar 1's tend to get hospitalised during manias, but bipolar 2's cycle faster than bipolar 1's so get far more opportunities to screw their lives up. anecdotally, bipolar 2's spend more time in depression.  either will do a first rate job of wrecking your marriage, job, life...