Link Between Alcoholism & Bipolar Disorder

Acoholism and bipolar mood disorder are chronic illnesses that are difficult to deal with. Many are unaware that there is a link between alcoholism and bipolar disorder, and while being diagnosed with one doesn't necessarily mean you also have the other, it is common for people with bipolar mood disorder to be diagnosed with alcoholism.

Bipolar Mood Disorder

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, bipolar disorder affects about 2.6 percent of the adult population in the United States in any given year. Children and teens can be diagnosed with bipolar disorder as well.

The most prominent identifying factor of bipolar disorder is pronounced and sometimes damaging mood swings that can affect a person's ability to maintain normal functioning in daily life, damaging relationships and jobs, and threatening health and life.

Alcoholism

According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcoholism is a disease with the following symptoms: a craving for alcohol, withdrawal symptoms such as shakiness and anxiety when you haven't had a drink for a period of time, inability to stop drinking when you've had too much, or inability to tell when you've had too much; and a growing tolerance for alcohol, meaning that you need more and more to get the same effect.

Substance Abuse With Mental Illness

As with alcohol abuse and bipolar disorder, substance abuse of any kind can go hand in hand with other forms of mental illness. A person with bipolar disorder may not have a problem with alcohol, but can be diagnosed with a different type of substance abuse, such as a dependency on recreational drugs.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, about 50 percent of people with severe mental illnesses have substance abuse issues, and 37 percent of alcohol abusers have at least one severe mental illness.

How Bipolar and Alcoholism Connect

The connection between bipolar disorder and alcohol abuse and alcoholism isn't fully understood. One possible connection is that serious mental illnesses may elevate the risk for substance abuse. Another possible connection is that bipolar symptoms may be triggered by the cycles of chronic alcohol abuse and withdrawal. Alcohol may also be used as a form of self-medication.

Finally, it is possible that in families where alcoholism and bipolar disorder is present, the probability of passing those predispositions along to children is greater than in families where neither or only one disease is present.

Treatment

If you suffer from alcoholism and bipolar mood disorder, successful treatment will require a concerted effort by you to stick with the plan that you, your doctor and other mental health professionals devise.

Treatment for bipolar mood disorder involves a combination of psychotherapy, medication and lifestyle changes. Alcoholism treatment often begins with detox, accompanied by individual or group counseling. Continual sobriety is necessary to create the best environment for treatment of bipolar disorder.

References

• National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
• National Alliance on Mental Illness