Bipolar individuals undergoing recovery from addiction often face difficulties trying to stay away from their addiction, increasing the tendency of substance relapse and suicide. Individuals who have a substance addiction are usually also found to be bipolar, this can result in various negative consequences. For example, people who are addicted to alcohol can easily trigger bipolar disorder and result in mania, depression, and constantly changing moods. When these moods are triggered, it can easily lead to violence towards both others and the self. An increase in suicide attempts was also seen in addicts who developed bipolar disorder.
Most of the time, individuals undergoing treatment for their addiction might not know they have bipolar disorder, explaining the random changes in mood that makes it more difficult for them to properly undergo treatment. Patients of substance abuse might even resort to drugs in attempt to eliminate the irritable feeling from their bipolar depression.
Although Depression is a typical side effect of withdrawal from drugs, showing signs of manic or experiencing serious depressive cycles such as feeling excessively intense joy, feeling easily annoyed or agitated, talking at an accelerated pace, rapid thoughts, lowered need for sleep, being highly impulsive or have suicidal thoughts, might be symptoms of the development of bipolar disorder. Addicts might also engage in substance abuse to retain the euphoric feelings from their manic state, worsening their addiction.
It is crucial to understand how bipolar disorder trigger addiction. Individuals can receive help by undergoing treatments which focus on achieving stable moods to keep them away from their addictions. Therapy sessions that tackle recovery from addiction and methods to stabilize moods are proven to be most effective in the long run.
Category(s):Addictions, Adjusting to Change / Life Transitions, Bipolar, Health / Illness / Medical Issues, Health Psychology, Mood Swings / Bipolar
Source material from Psychology Today
