Bipolar disorder is a serious mental health condition that causes intense mood swings ranging from emotional highs to deep lows. During a manic episode, you may feel overly confident, restless, or impulsive. A depressive episode can cause hopelessness, exhaustion, and an overall inability to function.
Some people with bipolar disorder use alcohol to escape these overwhelming ups and downs, but self-medicating is a dangerous path that often leads to addiction.
Why Do People With Bipolar Disorder Turn to Alcohol?
Alcohol may seem like a quick, socially acceptable way to take the edge off. Though it can help you relax during manic periods or lift your mood during depression, that relief is only temporary – and it can do more harm than good.
Regular alcohol use can worsen bipolar symptoms and increase your risk of developing a substance use disorder. A drinking problem will ultimately make it harder to manage mood swings and magnify your urges to do risky things like unsafe sex, gambling, or reckless spending. It can also damage your relationships, work life, and physical health.
When Mental Health and Substance Use Overlap
When someone experiences an overlapping mental health disorder and a substance use disorder, experts call it a dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorder. Evidence suggests that about half of all people with addiction also live with a condition like bipolar disorder – and vice versa.
These two illnesses often feed off each other. Drinking may make bipolar symptoms worse, and worsening bipolar symptoms may drive more drinking. It becomes a dangerous cycle that’s hard to break without professional attention.
Dual-Diagnosis Care Is Essential
Treating only one part of the problem isn’t enough. If you seek help for addiction but ignore your bipolar disorder, your symptoms will likely return – along with the drinking. Conversely, if you focus only on mental health and overlook addiction, your continued substance use may undo any progress you make.
Maryville Integrated Care offers a co-occurring mental health and addiction program designed to help our clients manage both conditions simultaneously.
Our team creates personalized care plans that focus on healing the whole person. We combine therapy, medical care, and recovery support to stabilize your mood, empower you to stay sober, and reclaim your life.
Hope and Healing Are Within Reach
Struggling with bipolar disorder and alcohol use can feel isolating, but compassionate treatment is available. Maryville has helped people in New Jersey for more than 75 years. We’re here for you with expert, compassionate care that meets you where you are.
Call Maryville Integrated Care today. We’ll help you build a path to long-term recovery with a simple admissions process and multiple accessible levels of care.
