Bipolar Side Effects: The Hidden Symptoms No One Talks About
Mental health conditions are prevalent in our society, affecting millions each day. You probably know a coworker, friend, or family member living with one right now. Or maybe you are trying to manage a mental health condition yourself, living day to day with interfering side effects.
You are not alone. In Hillsborough County, almost 30,000 people out of every 100,000 were hospitalized for a mental health condition between 2020 and 2022. In other words, 3 out of 10 people in our Gulf Coast county had to go to the hospital for mental health concerns.
Clean Recovery Centers understands how important taking care of mental health is. One condition we see often is bipolar disorder. This condition can cause serious mental anguish that can lead to hospitalizations. Let’s talk about bipolar disorder side effects and how they can cause difficulties in your or your loved one’s life.
Cracking the Code: Understanding Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition affecting mood and emotions. Though the condition is prominent, it is not understood the exact causes of bipolar disorder. A combination of genetics, environmental factors, and stress response are all linked to the possible cause of developing bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder is characterized by shifts in mood that range from high to low. The “high” episodes are referred to as mania and the “low” episodes as depressive. The different types of bipolar disorder affect how often these mood shifts occur and the side effects they produce.
Navigating Bipolar Disorder’s Side Effects
The side effects of bipolar disorder can interfere with day-to-day life. During the different episodes, mood and emotional shifts can create unstable thinking patterns, which can affect relationships, jobs, and mental health. Let’s take a look at how the different episodes of bipolar disorder produce different side effects.
How Mania and Hypomania Shape Your World
Mania or manic episodes cause the person to feel a burst in mood and productivity. Side effects include elevated feelings of elatedness or irritation, increased energy, rapid cycling of thoughts, and fast-talking. Manic episodes are a distinction of bipolar I disorder and can last for 7 or more days at a time. In between manic episodes, depressive episodes can occur as well as mixed symptoms of both mania and depression.
Mania can sometimes present with behavioral and mental health changes that cause negative effects. Reckless behaviors can increase during manic episodes, including driving erratically, taking substances, having sex with multiple partners, and excessive spending. These can have a detrimental effect on the overall physical and mental well-being of the person.
Manic episodes can also result in experiencing psychotic episodes with hallucinations and delusions. Psychotic episodes are a medical emergency and require professional help to be treated properly. Those who don’t know they have bipolar disorder and experience a psychotic episode may need further testing to rule out other conditions such as schizophrenia.
Hypomania is similar to mania but is not as intense and does not last as long. Episodes can last up to 4 days followed by depressive episodes. Hypomania is a marker of bipolar II disorder and can still cause interference with daily life.
The Impact of Depressive Episodes on Daily Life
Depressive episodes occur in both bipolar I and II but tend to be more prominent in bipolar II disorder. These episodes tend to last at least two weeks, with some lasting for longer. Side effects of depressive episodes are similar to those experienced by those with depression. These can include:
- Low energy and fatigue
- Lack of motivation to complete basic tasks
- Feelings of hopelessness, sadness, or worthlessness
- Loss of enjoyment for activities or hobbies that once brought joy
- Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
- Increased irritability
- Sleep pattern changes including insomnia or excessive sleep
- Changes in appetite leading to weight loss or gain
- Thoughts of death or suicide
Depressive episodes can take what energy you have leaving you with not enough left to accomplish daily goals and tasks. This makes not only going to work difficult but also performing household chores. This can further exacerbate depression symptoms due to the frustration of not feeling like yourself.
It can also be frustrating to lose interest in hobbies and activities. Things that once brought joy and entertainment no longer provide the same experience. This may not be forever – once a depressive episode ends it’s possible to pick the hobby or activity back up. If bipolar disorder is left untreated, more depressive episodes can occur and continue taking away interests.
During depressive episodes, relationships can feel strained. Depression can affect libido – the desire to have sex. Your partner may try to initiate physical intimacy but the depressive episode takes away your drive to want to engage. This can result in frustration for both parties and cause difficulties in the relationship.
Uncovering the Hidden Effects of Bipolar Disorder
Experiencing the highs and lows of bipolar disorder creates symptoms that affect the person as a whole – physically, mentally, and emotionally. There are side effects that bipolar disorder produces that are less known and can cause just as much of a disturbance in the person’s life.
One of the lesser-known effects of bipolar disorder is its cognitive impact. Many who have a bipolar disorder diagnosis experience impairment of attention, memory, and executive function. The exact science behind this is still being studied, but research shows it occurs from a combination of brain structural and functional variables, as well as inflammatory and metabolic factors. These impairments can cause disruptions in everyday life, interfering with work, school, and home life.
Sleep disturbances caused by bipolar disorder can also lead to complications. Our bodies need proper rest to heal and rejuvenate from daily wear and tear. Without proper sleep, the body cannot make an adequate effort to prevent illnesses. The immune system becomes weakened from a lack of sleep, increasing the risk of developing conditions such as the flu.
Lastly, bipolar disorder can change eating habits, resulting in weight changes. Those who are not eating enough will also have a weakened immune system and difficulties fighting off infections. Those who are eating too much can gain excess weight over time. This can result in low self-esteem as well as medical problems such as diabetes, heart complications, and joint pain. Weight gain or weight loss can increase depression symptoms during episodes, which can make thoughts of self-harm or suicide worse. If you or someone you love is experiencing these thoughts, seek medical help immediately.
Getting Help for Bipolar Disorder in Tampa, FL
The side effects of bipolar disorder can cause serious interference with your life, but they don’t have to last forever. Treatment for bipolar disorder will give you the tools necessary to manage manic and depressive episodes and get you back to doing what you love. Through talk therapies, medications, and coping skill development, you will be able to hone in on your triggers and learn what causes the different episodes of bipolar disorder to occur. You don’t have to keep riding the roller coaster of bipolar highs and lows – help is available to get you back on level ground.
If you or someone you love is trying to manage life with bipolar disorder, there is hope for a brighter tomorrow. Clean Recovery Centers offers a unique, three-phase approach to mental health and substance use disorder treatment. Once you are established in our care, we offer telehealth options in our outpatient program, easing your access to the healing you need. Our dedicated team will help you with medications and continued therapies while you learn about your bipolar disorder and triggers. Call us today at (888) 330-2532 to learn more about our program offerings.
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