Individuals with bipolar who drink alcohol have been found to be more violent, more impulsive, and more likely to engage in other types of substance abuse. In addition, they present with more manic symptoms than individuals with bipolar who do not drink alcohol.
Alcohol is known to intensify bipolar disorder due to its sedating effects. It acts similarly to some medications, risking feelings of depression with each swig of alcohol. Alcohol also greatly increases the severity of mania, which many who suffer from bipolar find extremely pleasurable.
In certain cases, psychosis with delusions or hallucinations can occur in people with bipolar disorder. Drinking alcohol can aggravate these symptoms.
When a person with bipolar disorder drinks alcohol, they often feel a sense of relief from the intensity of very high or very low emotions. Mood swings can make a person feel out of control, and alcohol may seem to help provide a sense of control, at least at first. Alcohol has an impact on both mania and depression.
The known maladaptive types of coping mechanisms, or negative coping skills, evident in BD patients are “… rumination, catastrophism, self-blame, substance use, risk-taking, behavioral disengagement, problem-direct coping, venting of emotions, or mental disengagement” (Apaydin & Atagun, 2018).
Alcohol Use with Bipolar Disorder Medications
Because medications for bipolar disorder work in the central nervous system and affect chemicals in the brain, the addition of alcohol can also worsen side effects like dizziness, memory impairment, confusion, poor judgement, or increase the risk for falls and injury.
During a manic episode, people with bipolar disorder can have what's called a bipolar blackout. During a blackout, the individual is not aware of their surroundings or actions and has trouble remembering them afterward. This can make interacting with someone in a blackout very frustrating, but it doesn't have to be.
Signs of A Bipolar Meltdown
A burst of energy. Feeling irritable. Extremely happy and euphoric mood. Speaking fast.
Bipolar psychosis happens when a person experiences an episode of severe mania or depression, along with psychotic symptoms and hallucinations. The symptoms tend to match a person's mood. During a manic phase, they may believe they have special powers. This type of psychosis can lead to reckless or dangerous behavior.
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 use of amphetamines or cocaine may induce or prolong manic periods with high levels of energy and excitement. During depressive episodes, stimulants are used as an attempt to alleviate depressive mood or low energy level.
Mania in particular tends to trigger aggressive emotions and anger. The racing thoughts and high energy levels you experience can leave you feeling angry, irritable, and frustrated. Those angry emotions, in turn, can cause aggressive and inappropriate behaviors.
Answer questions honestly. But don't argue or debate with a person during a manic episode. Avoid intense conversation. Don't take comments or behavior personally.
Some research has found there to be a higher frequency of physical or emotional abuse among relationships affected by bipolar disorder in particular. For example, an article published in Psychiatric Times found that people with BD are more likely to be violent toward other people in their lives.
Can you have bipolar disorder and NPD at the same time? Yes. Bipolar disorder and narcissistic personality disorder are two different mental health conditions but symptoms of both can co-occur.
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.
Impulsivity is one of the symptoms of BPD, and for a person with BPD, alcohol can make an already impulsive individual even more impulsive. This means the individual is likely to go on spending sprees or participate in reckless driving, sexual promiscuity or binge eating.
Alcohol can exaggerate symptoms of both mania and depression.
Combining alcohol with lithium intensifies the medication's sedating side effects and may lessen the medication's benefits. In severe cases, combining lithium and alcohol can lead to dehydration and lithium toxicity — a potentially life-threatening complication.
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.