Bipolar Disorder is a condition that causes a person to have wild mood swings. A person can experience low (depression) to extremely high (mania) moods. Some people aren’t aware that they have bipolar. These people often turn to alcohol or illegal drugs to control their mood swings.

Alcohol and illegal drug use only compound their problems. Ecstacy and marijuana are two types of illegal drugs that cause the same problem in a bi-polar person. Ecstasy and marijuana give a person the feeling of euphoria. Since the low mood in bi-polar would probably have the person experiencing feelings of sadness, not wanting to do anything, or just wanting to stay in bed, ecstasy or marijuana would cause that same person to have high energy, restlessness, and excitability. When the person is coming off the high, their depression is usually increased.

Alcohol, on the other hand, is a totally different story. Alcoholism, as well as bipolar, is thought to be an inherited gene. A gene is passed from one generation to the next. Alcohol abuse and bipolar share similar characteristics and it may be difficult to diagnose bipolar. As with illegal drugs, alcohol is a mind-altering substance. While under the influence of alcohol, a bipolar person may be able to control mood swings. As with illegal drugs, while the effects wear off, the bipolar symptoms would worsen.

Bipolar is a serious condition that affects a person’s behavior. Drugs and alcohol also affect a person’s behavior. Both together are a disaster. A person should not use drugs of alcohol if they have bipolar.

Mania is normally considered to be one part of the medical condition known as bipolar disorder. People with bipolar disorder cycle through phases of feeling euphoric to that of deep depression. These changes can occur at any time and have a high impact on the life of those with manic-depressive illness and their families as well.

Because of the symptoms experienced by someone with bipolar disorder, it is often difficult for them to live a normal, productive life. The symptoms can be very disabling and can affect the way a person makes decisions, uses good judgment, and their thinking process.

While in a manic episode, the person becomes excessively euphoric, experience racing thoughts that they cannot control. There is always something in their head to be dealt with. Racing thoughts cause one to be severely distracted. This can lead to irritability. The ability to concentrate is affected as well, which can affect one's school or job performance.

Because of the constant brain activity, a person in a manic phase may believe their energy level is quite high and that they don't need to sleep. This is a very dangerous condition and one should seek medical help as soon as possible.

Hypomania is a less severe form of mania that can turn into either a manic or depressive episode. There is no cure for this condition. With medication and psychotherapy, one can develop coping skills to help them deal with the illness. It is most important that the person be under a doctor's care on a continuing basis. It is also important if you are diagnosed with bipolar disorder that you remain on your medication even if you think (due to the medication) you are feeling better.

Remembering the days of fun and love with your spouse is a great solution to a tough time with a bipolar spouse. Holding on to those memories will help you to keep loving your partner when they are out of control and you can't believe the things they are saying and doing at the time. Just remember it is their illness doing the talking, not them.

An effort to educate yourself to exactly what bipolar is will give you better understanding and ability to live with a bipolar spouse. Learning that there is no cure can be painful yet helpful to face the truth and to deal with what you are up against.
Living with a bipolar spouse requires an open and honest relationship by both of you. By the spouse admitting the illness and you supporting the spouse, life can be easier to deal with situations as they occur. Have boundaries and limitations that your both must stick to. Know that it is a team effort to get through the struggling times.

It is important to keep the bipolar spouse's environment a safe place. They need to know you are there for them. Remember you are having pain together. Support the spouse at visits to doctors or concealers. Keep an awareness of the medication routine. It is okay to cry and feel you are the one that is responsible to keep things together. Feeling that you are forgotten in all the struggles is a normal feeling. People feel you are to be the strong one in the relationship and to keep things running smooth in the household. Let your feelings out to someone that can help you cope while keeping your love for your spouse up front in your mind.

The difficulty of treating the elderly diagnosed with bipolar disorder (BD) primarily relates to the scarcity of research on this population with it. Another mitigating factor is the medication changes/additions elderly require and how they may interact with medication for bipolar disorder. Research has shown the importance of maintaining patients on low levels of medication and how medication changes can create difficulties.

One study indicates that as many as 10 percent of all BD cases develop after the age of 50. This later onset also has a greater likelihood of relapse than an earlier onset. Early stages of dementia can include symptoms like BD. Generally, the elderly BD patients metabolize treatment drugs differently. This often produces a narrowing of the therapeutic effect of the medications. Medication doses for elderly patients with BD are generally one half to one third the dose of other patients. Elderly patients with BD tend to have longer hospital stays than younger patients and tend to use outpatient services more. Lithium, the most widely used medication for patients with BD, presents different challenges when taken by the elderly. Although it is still an effective treatment, it has been found to have double the half-life in the elderly as compared to the general population. Clinical research shows that elderly patients require a lower dose of lithium because of this feature.

Statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health show that BD has been clinically diagnosed in 0.1 percent of people over 65-years-old. This compares with 1.8 percent of BD patients in younger demographics.

There are two kinds of feelings or disorders that mania sufferers go through. One is euphoria, which makes one feel extremely happy. The other is dysphoria and makes one feel energetic despair. It is like being on a roller coaster. One minute you are up and the next you are down. But the dysphoria can lead to impulsive suicide. A manic person can change from one feeling to the other within minutes, so they can never be sure of their feelings.

One person wrote that she can feel the mania coming on when she starts to feel like she wants to run free and live like an animal. In other words, she feels the primal instinct to break free of the typical human life. Some feel as if they are immortal and can't be stopped. In these cases, they may end up jumping off of a building believing that they can fly. They may even have obsessive routines or rituals that they feel they must follow or they will die.

Most manics just want to be left alone when they are in the depressed state. They don't even want their loved ones around. They are trying to hide the fact that they are out of control by being by themselves. They may feel hopeless and like there is no way out. They may not even be able to stand being alive any longer. There are medicines that you can take for this that will help to control the mood swings.