Bipolar disorder is a serious mood disorder characterized by manic and depressive episodes. Bipolar has two types: bipolar 1 and bipolar 2. Bipolar 1 is more severe and more difficult to treat. Both forms often can be managed with medication and therapy; however, they can make daily life difficult for both the patient and her family. Bipolar disorder has many side effects, including harm to relationships, behavior and mood.
Mood
Bipolar disorder creates alternating cycles of mania and depression, each with unique behaviors. During a manic phase, a person has an elevated mood, often characterized by grandiose ideas, rapid speech and impulsive behavior. As a result, a manic person's mood can be elevated noticeably, often making it difficult for those around him to deal with it. In contrast, a person in the depressive phase often will feel hopeless or worthless, and she may show a marked change in mood or lose interest in activities she once found enjoyable. The depressive mood is often long-lasting.
Behavior
When a person is manic, he may act in ways that appear to be irrational, including spending excessively, driving too fast, pursuing reckless sexual behaviors or other impulsive, high-risk activities. These behaviors can be dangerous, as they often have consequences that can last long after a manic phase has passed. Typical behavioral side effects of depression are changes in sleeping patterns, including insomnia or excessive sleeping, changes in eating patterns, lost of interest in family and friends and thoughts of suicide.
Relationships
Mania can cause an otherwise responsible, typical individual to act in uncharacteristically impulsive and reckless ways. This pattern of alternating mania and depression does not lead to a stable relationship. As a mate, a person with this disorder often is unreliable and erratic. Parents with bipolar disorder may struggle to be a consistent for their child as they care for their own disorder. When depressed, they may not be able to care for their children as needed; when manic, they may create an unsafe home environment.
