Bipolar disorder is a condition for which there is no cure. Bipolar disorder can manifest in the form of depressive episodes, sometimes referred to as bipolar depression. Clinical research has concluded that there is a dangerous connection between bipolar disorder and alcohol abuse.
Those who have a bipolar disorder diagnosis are more likely to develop an alcohol addiction compared to almost any other population group.
Dual Diagnosis Risk
Studies indicate that around 45 percent of people with bipolar I disorder will develop an alcohol use disorder at some point in their lives.
The risk of developing an alcohol use disorder gets higher during depressive episodes as compared to manic ones. The reason behind this is that alcohol is typically used as an unhealthy coping mechanism when individuals with bipolar depression experience a depressive episode.
Find Care for Bipolar Depression and Alcohol Abuse
At NY Center for Living, we understand the strong connection between bipolar depression and alcohol abuse. That’s why we aim to provide individualized care for teens, young adults, and adults in need through our dual diagnosis programs.
In order to give each client the care they need, we start each program with an evaluation and assessment, helping those with bipolar depression and alcohol abuse recover with a program that enables stability, without interfering with personal or professional obligations. Each of our outpatient programs is designed to give clients the right level of care, with the right commitment. Our IOP, for example, is 9 hours per week, but our teen program is 6 hours per week owing to other academic and family obligations.
With treatment for adolescents and adults, we also incorporate partner, parent, and family support to ensure each client has a network around them. Adding to that, we focus on helping clients build a recovery community through peer recovery support, wellness and recovery activities, and our alumni program.
Find the Help You Need
If you are worried about the connection between bipolar depression and alcohol abuse in yourself or a child in your family, we can help. At NY Center for Living, our flexible outpatient programs are designed for teens, young adults, and adults alike. We know how important it is to get the right type of care for co-occurring disorders like bipolar disorder and alcohol use disorder.
Contact our team today for an assessment by calling 646-692-0034. We can help you find the way out.
FAQ
Does Having Bipolar Depression Mean I’ll Become an Alcoholic?
Not necessarily. Simply experiencing bipolar depression or bipolar depressive episodes does not mean that you will automatically become an alcoholic or struggle with an alcohol use disorder. However, there is a high correlation as people struggling with bipolar depression are more likely to self-medicate using maladaptive methods like drugs and alcohol. Nearly half of individuals with bipolar 1 disorder will develop an alcohol use disorder at some point.
What is the Best Treatment for Bipolar Depression and Alcohol Abuse?
The best treatment is an individualized approach that involves therapy, both individual and group, as well as medication in some cases. At NY Center for Living, we fit psychiatric care into each client program as a tool for improved wellness and resilience. We also focus on group and family therapy for different client groups, using evidence-based practices like CBT, MI, and DBT.
Why Do People with Bipolar Depression Become Alcoholics?
Scientific research has found that there are several biological mechanisms responsible for the high correlation between bipolar depression and alcohol use disorder. The first is self-medication, where clients who are dealing with bipolar depression turn to alcohol to help induce sleep when they are agitated or to numb the pain of the depression. However, alcohol depresses the central nervous system, which actually exacerbates the depression.
Other research points to dopamine dysregulation, as chronic alcohol abuse can desensitize your dopamine receptors. When these receptors get desensitized, it’s actually harder to experience pleasure in a natural state, which means that the depression experienced as a result of bipolar episodes becomes increasingly more intense.
Finally, repeated alcohol withdrawal can actually sensitize your brain, leading to more frequent and severe mood episodes. This means that heavy drinking can actually more readily trigger rapid cycling between depressive and manic episodes. This then ties back to the self-medication hypothesis and worsens things like dopamine dysregulation in a vicious cycle.
Can I Get Treatment for Bipolar Depression and Alcohol Abuse?
Yes, treatment is available for both conditions. The best course of action is a dual diagnosis form of treatment, providing care for alcohol use disorder and bipolar disorder at the same time. This type of integrated approach includes access to psychosocial support like cognitive behavioral therapy or dialectical behavioral therapy, both of which can teach you how to better manage triggers without turning to alcohol.
As part of our treatment, we also incorporate things like pharmacotherapy, helping each of our clients to work in partnership with their primary care physicians to find medication for bipolar disorder that can make it more effective to manage episodes of depression or mania, and to do so without turning to alcohol.
A final element of a successful treatment plan is participation in support groups. At NY Center for Living, we aim to encourage our clients to participate in ongoing support groups while building a support network. This looks different for each age group but involves things like peer recovery support and local support group meetings.
Is It Bad to Have Bipolar and Alcohol Abuse at the Same Time?
Without getting the right access to care, individuals who struggle with bipolar disorder and alcohol abuse are at a much higher risk of suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts. Alcohol abuse as a form of self-medication can actually interfere with the body’s ability to metabolize mood stabilizers like lithium, making them less effective. Finally, without the right type of care, recovery is often delayed as individuals only get treatment for single episodes of depression or for alcohol abuse, but not for the underlying bipolar disorder. Our aim is to ensure that all clients have access to the right type of program for their circumstances.
