RIGHT PATH RECOVERY

Bipolar and Substance Abuse

There is a substantial corpus of research investigating the association between bipolar illness and addiction.

The most important of these studies were carried out as part of NESARC (National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions). More information on the difference between bipolar I and bipolar II illnesses is provided below. The study examined the prevalence of co-occurring drug use disorders in more than 43,000 respondents in the United States.

In the aforementioned study, 38% of participants had bipolar disorder and drug addiction, whereas 58% had bipolar disorder and alcoholism.

Why bipolar disorder makes it more likely to abuse alcohol and other drugs is still a mystery. Indeed, bipolar illness symptoms are frequently made worse by drugs and alcohol.

Beyond this, drug misuse might cause some individuals who had no past mental health concerns to develop bipolar.

Let's first take a quick look at what bipolar illness implies in an everyday language before discussing how it is handled when it co-occurs with addiction.

Extreme mood fluctuations are the primary characteristic of bipolar disorder. Episodes might last a few hours, a few days, or even a few weeks. These episodes could happen sporadically throughout the week or only on special occasions.

Four different types of episodes are common in people with bipolar disorder:

Major depressive
Manic
Hypomanic
Mixed

Bipolar symptoms can vary greatly from person to person, regardless of categorization. Bipolar symptoms are frequently significantly more severe in those who also co-occur with drug or alcohol addictions. As a result, many bipolar individuals turn to drugs and alcohol as a kind of self-medication for symptoms that otherwise seem insurmountable.

Bipolar Episodes

Major depressive

Major depressive episodes cause you to feel gloomy and distant from or uninterested in daily activities.

A clinical major depressive episode must endure for at least a fortnight in order to be considered.

Manic

Major depressive

Manic episodes can push you to the other extreme of the emotional range, where you may become overly amiable or downright aggressive.

Manic episodes typically last a week, if not more. Frequently, these incidents result in hospitalization.

Hypomanic

Manic and hypomanic episodes differ from one another in subtle and complex ways.

Less intense and shorter than manic episodes, hypomanic episodes typically last at least 4 days but seldom much longer.

Mixed

Hypomanic

If you have bipolar disorder, you should expect mixed episodes with features of significant depressive, manic, and hypomanic episodes.

There are two distinct forms of bipolar disorder, according to DSM-5 (the most recent version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders):

Bipolar I: A minimum of one manic or mixed episode, followed by significant depression episodes or hypomanic episodes.
Bipolar II: At least one severe depressive episode followed by a hypomanic episode.

The most severe form of this condition is bipolar I.

Bipolar and Addiction Dual Diagnosis

In addition to varying from person to person, the signs of bipolar disorder can also closely match those of drug and alcohol abuse. For example, if you see someone having a manic episode, they will frequently act and appear like someone who is taking cocaine. Both experiences entail heightened moods and energy levels. On the other hand, if you observe someone having a serious depressive episode, this may resemble the signs of someone going through drug detox and withdrawal.

A dual diagnosis or co-occurring condition occurs when a person with bipolar illness also has an alcohol or substance addiction.

Since the symptoms of each ailment sometimes overlap, you should visit a qualified physician to get a precise diagnosis. From here, you may examine ways to concurrently and directly address each of these problems, and how a dual diagnosis is handled.

Alcohol Addiction

Alcoholism and bipolar illness commonly co-occur. It is unclear how bipolar illness and alcohol use disorder, the official term for alcoholism, are related. However, each of the following elements may contribute to co-occurring disorders:

Genetics: It is thought that some hereditary factors have an effect on bipolar-related changes in brain chemistry. The same hereditary characteristics may also affect how the brain reacts to alcohol and other drugs. In this area, more investigation is required.
Anxiety and depression: Many people who suffer from mood disorders like anxiety and depression use alcohol as a self-medication for their symptoms. Not only will this not resolve the root problem, but both issues will eventually become worse.
Mania: Bipolar manic episodes are marked by hyperactivity and an extremely ecstatic state of mind. Common side effects include decreased inhibitions and poor judgment, both of which might increase alcohol intake.

It is advised to seek specialist dual diagnosis therapy from mental health professionals skilled in treating both diseases when bipolar and alcohol addiction co-occur.

When bipolar illness and alcohol use disorder coexist, you have a higher risk of:

Depression
Mood swings
Violence
Suicide

Additionally, the signs of one ailment might aggravate those of the other.

Drug Addiction

Alcohol Addiction

The best dual-diagnosis treatment facilities will assist you in concurrently addressing drug addiction and bipolar illness. Both illnesses have therapy that is largely comparable. Depending on your needs, you might choose between inpatient and outpatient care.

What should you anticipate from therapy for substance usage and bipolar disorder?

Counseling, both individual and group, as well as psychotherapies like CBT and DBT, are all offered in conjunction with MAT (dialectical behavioral therapy).

CBT is particularly useful for treating multiple diagnoses since it has been shown to be successful in treating both addiction and bipolar illness.

You will examine the ideas and emotions that cause depression and manic episodes throughout psychotherapy sessions. You'll learn that your thoughts and feelings don't always have to lead to automatic behaviors, and you'll develop better-coping strategies in place of abusing substances.

Bipolar and Addiction Treatment Services

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) can benefit people who have bipolar illness and addiction by reducing the severity of cravings and easing withdrawal symptoms. The drugs provided are FDA-approved and vary depending on the drug of addiction. These drugs are safe and also don't cause addiction.

But how about medication for bipolar disorder?

Well, MAT is an essential part of treatment for the majority of bipolar disorder patients, with drugs aiding in the restoration of some emotional stability. These medicines consist of:

Lithium
Antipsychotics
Anticonvulsants
Benzodiazepines

Benzos, also known as benzodiazepines, should only be administered temporarily and used as instructed. Benzos can efficiently treat both withdrawal symptoms and manic episodes, but they also have a high potential for misuse and addiction.