I
have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Could this be because I drink too
much alcohol?
Bipolar disorder is a complex mental disorder whose cause is
unknown. The disorder is lifelong and has severe disabling mood
swings. Many individuals who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder
are also known to use illicit drugs and abuse alcohol.
However, alcohol itself is not a cause of the disorder because many people who
drink never develop bipolar disorder. In addition, discontinuation of alcohol
does not cure bipolar disorder.
On the other hand, bipolar disorder does
increase the risk of alcohol abuse. In some cases, the symptoms of bipolar are
often diminished by alcohol and the diagnosis is delayed. However, over time
alcohol can worsen symptoms of bipolar disorder and make treatment very
difficult.
If you drink alcohol and have bipolar disorder, you need
treatment for both these disorders. You may be able to discontinue alcohol
drinking but treatment of bipolar disorder is quite difficult and lifelong.
