Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that comprises both the lows of depression and the highs of mania. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, over 10 million Americans have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It is a lifelong condition that usually begins in adolescence. People with bipolar disorder may require therapy and medication for the length of their lives.
Alcohol or Substance Use
Drug and alcohol use is one of the ways people may choose to deal with bipolar disorder. According to KidsHealth.org, drugs and alcohol may help a person with bipolar disorder mask the symptoms of the illness and feel temporarily high, but drugs and alcohol can intensify the symptoms of bipolar disorder and make it harder for doctors to diagnose.
Legal Problems
When a person goes through a manic phase of bipolar disorder, she may engage in impulsive activities or risky behaviors, reports NAMI. These behaviors of mania can lead a person to become involved with the wrong group of people or feel a sense of invincibility. This can cause a person to engage in activities that he would not normally do in his normal state of mind, and he might find himself breaking the law.
Financial Problems
A person with bipolar disorder may spend a lot of money during a manic phase. During mania a person may engage in impulsive buying or spending to the point that she spend all her money and ends up with credit card debts. The risk taking and grandiose feeling so often associated with mania could lead to carefree, unregulated spending.
Relationship Problems
Due to the changes in mood associated with bipolar disorder, a person might have problems with his relationships. It might be hard for those around a person with bipolar to be supportive and continue with the relationship, or a person with bipolar disorder may have different sets of relationships for her different mood states. NAMI reports that in episodes of mania, people with bipolar tend to engage in sexual indiscretions that could cause relationship turmoil.
Loneliness
Having bipolar disorder can be very isolating. It is hard for others to understand the disorder, thus making it hard to maintain close friendships. Also, engaging in isolating behaviors is one of the symptoms of depression. Pushing everyone away during a phase of depression may leave a person lonely when he returns to a normal state.
School or Work Problems
The difficulty concentrating, lack of desire and risky ambitious behaviors can affect a person's school or work performance. Academic problems and work problems might result from poor attendance and a hopeless attitude.
Suicide
According to HelpGuide.org, the depressive phase of bipolar disorder may be very severe and may heighten the risk of suicide; people with bipolar disorder are often more likely to attempt suicide than those with regular depression and they are generally more successful. Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK or call 911 if a person is at risk of suicide.
