There is no clear answer here: certainly there is no one cure. There are some people who will never experience another episode of mania or depression again, even without further treatment, but this is rare. Usually there will be periods when the individual remains well for a given period of time, only to find the experience reoccurs. That being so, much can be done to reduce the severity or length of an episode, or even the number of episodes experienced. The best treatment is usually a combination of medication, counselling and self-management.