Addiction helplines, like the one owned and operated by American Addiction Centers, are available to answer questions about co-occurring bipolar and alcohol use disorder and can help you understand the treatment process. Please call to speak to a caring admissions navigator who can help connect you to treatment centers that may be appropriate for your needs. You can also use the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s online Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator to search for facilities that provide dual diagnosis/co-occurring disorders treatment. In neuroimaging studies, there are a number of areas of interest in BD and indeed in AUD that have emerged in different studies in different populations.
Consequences of Comorbidity
For example, researchers are beginning to uncover genetic factors linked to bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses. Research shows that a person’s chances of having bipolar disorder are higher if they have a close family member with the illness, which may be because they have the same genetic variations. However, just because one family member has bipolar disorder does not mean other family members will have it.
Familial Risk of Bipolar Disorder and Alcoholism
For example, some people with bipolar II disorder experience hypomania, a less severe form of mania. During a hypomanic episode, a person may feel very good, be able to get things done, and keep up with day-to-day life. The person may i drink every night am i an alcoholic not feel that anything is wrong, but family and friends may recognize changes in mood or activity levels as possible symptoms of bipolar disorder. Without proper treatment, people with hypomania can develop severe mania or depression.
Implications for clinical practice and research
At 6-month follow-up both groups (depressive and bipolar patients) showed a significant reduction of alcohol consumption, but no difference was found between patients with unipolar and bipolar disorder. At 5-year follow-up, there was still a significant long-term benefit, particularly in those who engaged in post-discharge supportive therapy. Early abstinence predicted later abstinence, and a significant number of those who reduced their drinking by 6 months also achieved 12 illegal street drugs complete abstinence after 5 years (91). Although researchers have proposed explanations for the strong association between alcoholism and bipolar disorder, the exact relationship between these disorders is not well understood. One proposed explanation is that certain psychiatric disorders (such as bipolar disorder) may be risk factors for substance use. Alternatively, symptoms of bipolar disorder may emerge during the course of chronic alcohol intoxication or withdrawal.
“Evaluation of the patient for co-existing medical and psychiatric diseases is an important part of the assessment of patients with AUDs, but too often ignored or complicated by detoxification,” said Rummans. For example, AUD patients with major depression have significantly more relapses. People with bipolar disorder and a co-occurring SUD frequently experience worsened effects of each.
Diagnosing Bipolar Disorder and Alcohol Addiction
Additionally, when someone is going through alcohol withdrawal, it can potentially mirror some symptoms of bipolar disorder. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has an online treatment locator to help you find mental health services in your area. Most agree that there are many factors that are likely to contribute to a person’s chance of having the disorder. The Division of Intramural Research https://sober-house.org/adult-children-of-alcoholics-7-signs-and-effects/ Programs (IRP) is the internal research division of the NIMH. Over 40 research groups conduct basic neuroscience research and clinical investigations of mental illnesses, brain function, and behavior at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. While some may refer to a person struggling with these issues as a bipolar alcoholic, the two conditions are often intertwined and require separate, simultaneous treatment.
- The findings suggest that clinicians should regularly discuss drinking patterns with bipolar patients.
- The future development of novel therapies relies upon increased psychiatric and medical awareness of the co-morbidity, and further research into novel therapies for the comorbid group.
- Proposed treatment and support algorithm for patients with comorbid AUD and BD.
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterized by distinct high and low mood episodes. Periods of mania, hypomania, and depression in bipolar disorder can significantly affect a person’s level of functioning and quality of life. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a pattern of alcohol use characterized by an inability to control drinking and other behaviors that cause significant impairment.
While we wait for definitive trials leading to FDA medication approvals in humans, promising studies using neuromodulation of the brain as well as treatment with ketamine and other psychedelics are encouraging. Most recently, real-world human studies have been very positive in reporting decreases in drinking for diabetic patients treated with GLP-1s (think Ozempic and Wegovy). Animal studies also show that GLP-1 receptor agonists suppress the rewarding effects of alcohol and reduce alcohol consumption. In this regard, a Taiwanese study focused only on type-II BD (Shan et al., 2011).
Treatment can help many people, including those with the most severe forms of bipolar disorder. An effective treatment plan usually includes a combination of medication and psychotherapy, also called talk therapy. Bipolar disorder is often diagnosed during late adolescence (teen years) or early adulthood. Although the symptoms may vary over time, bipolar disorder usually requires lifelong treatment. Following a prescribed treatment plan can help people manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life.
Bipolar II disorder is characterized by episodes of hypomania, a less severe form of mania, which lasts for at least 4 days in a row and is not severe enough to require hospitalization. Hypomania is interspersed with depressive episodes that last at least 14 days. People with bipolar II disorder often enjoy being hypomanic (due to elevated mood and inflated self-esteem) and are more likely to seek treatment during a depressive episode than a manic episode. Because evidence suggests that active drinking may worsen bipolar symptoms, it makes sense that medications designed to decrease alcohol consumption may be useful in bipolar alcoholics. Naltrexone (ReVia™) is an FDA-approved medication designed to decrease cravings for alcohol. Maxwell and Shinderman (2000) reviewed the use of naltrexone in the treatment of alcoholism in 72 patients with major mental disorders, including bipolar disorder and major depression.
Given that there is only preliminary data on the use of naltrexone in bipolar alcoholics to date, naltrexone should be used with caution in patients who have been actively hypomanic. Multiple explanations for the relationship between these conditions have been proposed, but this relationship remains poorly understood. Alcohol use may worsen the clinical course of bipolar disorder, making it harder to treat. There has been little research on the appropriate treatment for comorbid patients. Some studies have evaluated the effects of valproate, lithium, and naltrexone, as well as psychosocial interventions, in treating alcoholic bipolar patients, but further research is needed.
Children and teens can work with their health care provider to develop a treatment plan to help them manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life. It is important to follow the treatment plan, even when your child is not currently experiencing a mood episode. Steady, dependable treatment works better than treatment that starts and stops. With pre-addiction, there is a high risk of developing a substance use disorder (SUD), but the person isn’t there yet.
Antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, and other drugs help manage symptoms and reduce the frequency and severity of mood cycles. People who have a diagnosis of both bipolar disorder and alcohol dependence will need a special treatment plan. Other theories suggest that people with bipolar disorder use alcohol in an attempt to manage their symptoms, especially when they experience manic episodes.