This is due in part to what researchers call 'leaky sensory gating,' in which the brains of both highly sensitive people and those with bipolar disorder have a reduced ability to filter out stimuli.
However, many people with bipolar disorder are also highly sensitive, so the challenges that come with high sensitivity can make coping with their mental illness even more difficult, especially when stress levels become overwhelming.
For people who deal with bipolar disorder, emotions can be far more intense than they might otherwise be, or else you might even feel a complete lack of emotion, at all, in instances when you would usually feel resonance.
Stress chemicals build up in your body and crying can actually help your body get rid of them. So it seems natural that with bipolar disorder, our sensitivity to stress alone could cause more frequent sob-fests.
A “bipolar meltdown” is, much like “bipolar anger,” a very stigmatizing phrase, and not something that really exists. The phrase “bipolar meltdown” could refer to a bipolar person having a manic episode or being in a depressed state.
During manic or mixed episodes, people with bipolar disorder may experience intense anger or rage. This can lead to them saying hurtful things they don't mean.
Grandiosity and overconfidence. Easy tearfulness, frequent sadness. Needing little sleep to feel rested. Uncharacteristic impulsive behavior.
Bipolar disorder can cause a lack of empathy, but symptoms may also make it more challenging to focus on the feelings of others. While there is no medication to improve empathy, treating bipolar disorder can help. Introspection, guided emotional learning, and observing emotions in others may also help build empathy.
In severe circumstances, over-sharing may also be a symptom of mental health problems like bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder, which can make people impulsive and emotionally unstable.
Watching someone you love struggle with Bipolar Disorder can be equally challenging and exhausting. Seeing your loved one experience hopelessness, frequent crying spells, social and career frustrations, and feelings of worthlessness can be heartbreaking.
They may be affectionate and loving sometimes and then cold and distant at other times. The person may welcome and enjoy sex one day, while rejecting affection the next day. These erratic behaviors can be quite challenging for all concerned, especially spouses.
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that can result in extreme shifts in mood. As this may affect how a person thinks, feels, and behaves, it may present challenges that can make it difficult to maintain friendships.
Positive psychological traits of spirituality, empathy, creativity, realism, and resilience are frequently observed in bipolar individuals [239].
No two people with bipolar disorder share the same thoughts or experiences, but there are some common thought patterns among most folks who have it. This includes cyclical thinking, manic and/or depressive episodes, suicidal ideation, and psychosis.
My short answer is: Yes, a person who lives with bipolar disorder can certainly be truly happy. But I think I can understand the concerns behind the question. If you have experienced disruptive or dangerous episodes of mania, you may worry that feeling happy is just a first step toward another damaging episode.
Avoid alcohol and drugs.
They can affect how your medications work. They can also worsen bipolar disorder and trigger a mood episode. And they can make the condition harder to treat. So don't use them at all.
High Achievement with Bipolar Disorder
Seemingly, the traits that make high achievers—energy, confidence, unconventional thinking, and a high tolerance for risk—are also linked to the milder stages of hypomania. There's a reason bipolar has been called a “CEO's disease.”
Stress. One of the most common bipolar triggers is stress. In a study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, negative or stressful life events were associated with subsequent mood episodes.
Looking back at what happened during a mood episode can stir powerful emotions. It's common to feel embarrassed, humiliated, ashamed, even worthless. There's often regret, sharpened by fear that you've alienated people in your life.
To Satisfy Needs for Attention. The person with bipolar might be using emotional manipulation to get attention from those who are close to them. It is not uncommon for a person with bipolar to lash out at the person who provides the most care or practical support.
It's common for someone with bipolar disorder to hurt and offend their partner. When someone is first diagnosed, there are often relationship issues that need to be addressed. Couples counseling can help you: Understand that there's an illness involved in the hurtful behavior.