Table of Contents
Complications
Psychiatric Comorbidities
Many patients with bipolar disorder often have accompanying psychiatric disorders.
Depression. Patients with bipolar disorder, especially type II or cyclothymic disorder, have frequent episodes of major depression. Because of depression, patients with bipolar disorder have an increased risk for suicide.
Anxiety Disorders. Anxiety disorders, such as panic disorder, phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorder, commonly coexist in these patients. Patients who suffer from an anxiety disorder in addition to bipolar disorder are at increased risk for suicide.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Symptoms of bipolar disorder in children are often confused with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Furthermore, the two conditions can coincide. [See Diagnosis section of this report.]
Substance Abuse. Patients with bipolar disorder frequently abuse drugs and alcohol. Although drug and alcohol abuse may be a form of self-medication, substance abuse can trigger or worsen bipolar symptoms. Cigarette smoking is very common among patients with mental illness, including bipolar disorder, due in part to nicotine’s effects on the brain.
Behavioral and Emotional Effects
A small percentage of bipolar disorder patients demonstrate heightened productivity or creativity during manic phases. More often, however, the distorted thinking and impaired judgment that are characteristic of manic episodes can lead to dangerous behavior including:
- Spending money with reckless abandon, causing financial ruin in some cases
- Angry, paranoid, and even violent behaviors
- Openly promiscuous behavior
Such behaviors are often followed by low self-esteem and guilt, which are experienced during the depressed phases. During all stages of the illness, patients need to be reminded that the mood disturbance will pass and that its severity can be diminished by treatment. Manic episodes also affect a patient’s family members and social circle and can create difficulties and tensions in interfamily and interpersonal relationships.
Both the depressive as well as manic phases of bipolar disorder can have a significant negative impact on a patient’s ability to function productively at work.
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Review Date: 01/28/2011
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine,
Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.
Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M.,
Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
