Adults who experience severe bipolar disorder will likely have to remain medicated their whole life. However, it's common for people to go off course with their medications or even stop them entirely.
Bipolar disorder is a chronic, lifelong condition. However, with proper management, people with bipolar disorder can live healthy and productive lives. If you are not currently taking medication for bipolar disorder, it is important to seek professional help.
In short, bipolar disorder may sound like a serious diagnosis, but with the right tools, supports and a commitment to be healthy, it is manageable for many. Not only can you live a normal life with bipolar disorder, you can lead a full and rewarding life.
When left untreated, the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder will often increase in severity and may lead to suicide; there is a high suicide rate for people with the disorder. When treated, it's possible to control the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder and enjoy a more stable and fulfilling life.
Bipolar disorder may worsen with age or over time if the condition is left untreated. As time goes on, a person may experience episodes that are more severe and more frequent than when symptoms first appeared.
Research shows bipolar disorder may damage the brain over time. Experts think it's because you slowly lose amino acids. They help build the proteins that make up the insulation around your neurons.
While bipolar disorder cannot develop into schizophrenia, it's possible to experience symptoms of both. Before you consult a mental health professional, here are a few things you should know about the two conditions.
Bipolar disorder can cause your mood to swing from an extreme high to an extreme low. Manic symptoms can include increased energy, excitement, impulsive behaviour, and agitation. Depressive symptoms can include lack of energy, feeling worthless, low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts.
The life expectancy for someone with bipolar disorder is approximately 67 years old. A 2021 study researched the effect of bipolar disorder on longevity and found that: risk of death is 2.6 times greater than the general population. the average life span is between 8–12 years shorter than the general population.
If one parent has bipolar disorder, there's a 10% chance that their child will develop the illness. If both parents have bipolar disorder, the likelihood of their child developing bipolar disorder rises to 40%.
What's the link between bipolar and dementia? The risk of developing dementia is much higher among people who've had bipolar disorder, according to several studies.
Drinking alcohol or taking drugs, he says, can worsen your bipolar mood swings and lead to an increase in suicidal thoughts or behaviors. As SAMHSA notes, substance use or withdrawal can cause symptoms attributed to bipolar disorder, including agitation, anxiety, paranoia, mania, or depression.
The single most significant reason why individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder fail to take their medication is because of their lack of awareness of their illness (anosognosia). Other important reasons are concurrent alcohol or drug abuse; costs; and a poor relationship between psychiatrist and patient.
Unless their condition is causing noticeable dysfunction that makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, it's perfectly okay to date someone with bipolar disorder I or II. Every person you date is likely to have different strengths and needs. That same logic goes for people with mental health conditions.
One of the hallmark signs of mania is impaired judgment. This causes you to participate in extremely risky or dangerous behaviors. You do things without even considering the consequences of your actions. Gambling and hypersexuality are some of the risky behaviors linked to manic episodes.
Overthinking, Rumination & Bipolar Disorder
Most people overthink decisions or second-guess choices they've made at one time or another but when you have bipolar disorder, it can feel like you're on a hamster wheel without any signs of a slow down or an end in sight.
They found that 12 risk genes for bipolar disorder were also linked to intelligence. In 75 % of these genes, bipolar disorder risk was associated with higher intelligence. In schizophrenia, there was also a genetic overlap with intelligence, but a higher proportion of the genes was associated with cognitive impairment.
Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental illness with the peak age of onset between 20 and 40 years.
You can feel exhausted because you have no energy and you're struggling with sleep. But fatigue can also be a problem during mania. Your racing mind can bring insomnia. It takes a long time to recover from mania, so you can feel physically and emotionally drained during the recovery, as well.
There are exceptions to the rule, and if you're getting treatment for your illness and being open and honest with your spouse, your marriage has every chance of succeeding. According to a 2003 study, it is estimated that around 90% of marriages where one person has bipolar disorder end in divorce.