“Why do bipolar people get so angry?”
My friend is bipolar and gets angry too often. I was worried and told him he should go on mood-regulating medicine.
3 Answers
Because they are not on appropriate medication.
Good advice. Angry episodes by bipolar people are usually the result a hypo-manic episode. A mood regulator is definitely in order.
I completely agree with you! But I have one warning: the diagnosis of bipolar disorder can be tricky. Frequently three different psychiatrists will arrive at three different diagnoses of those with mood disorders. Full disclosure: I=E2=80=99m not a psychiatrist but have treated people with emotional disorders for a long time.=20
A few thoughts:
1. Bipolar disorder is characterized by swings in mood and need for sleep. When they=E2=80=99re high or =E2=80=9Chypomanic=E2=80=9D, bipolar people have a lot of energy and need less sleep. Other common symptoms are a nasty temper, gambling, aggressive driving, and shopping sprees where they buy stuff they never wanted even while buying it. Then the mood swings to depression that can be severe, with fatigue, increased need for sleep, and heightened risk of suicide. Not everyone becomes hypomanic or depressed and sometimes bipolar folks=E2=80=99 mood swings are mostly high to normal, or mostly depressed to normal. But the quality of their moods is different from people just with depression, who may go in and out of depressed mood and back to normal. Note that while occasionally bipolar illness manifests in childhood or adolescence, typically it first shows up around age 20 or a little later.
2. The high of bipolar disorder is similar to how people get on meth or cocaine, so much so that addicts can seem to be bipolar when they=E2=80=99re not. After a period of sobriety, their moods normalize. And chemical dependency is a common side effect of untreated bipolar illness, so things can get really muddy.
3. People with borderline personality disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder can have symptoms similar to bipolar illness. That=E2=80=99s why the diagnosis can be tricky.
4. True bipolar illness is inherited. It=E2=80=99s a physical illness that=E2=80=99s not your fault. That=E2=80=99s the reason almost all folks will improve only with medication. And medication management can be difficult, so it=E2=80=99s easy to become discouraged until a competent psychiatrist figures out the correct regimen. The downside of requiring medication to treat is that patients often feel better and stop taking their mood stabilizers, or they get tired of feeling normal and want the natural high of the hypomanic phase. Stopping your drugs rarely turns out well.
A few thoughts:
1. Bipolar disorder is characterized by swings in mood and need for sleep. When they=E2=80=99re high or =E2=80=9Chypomanic=E2=80=9D, bipolar people have a lot of energy and need less sleep. Other common symptoms are a nasty temper, gambling, aggressive driving, and shopping sprees where they buy stuff they never wanted even while buying it. Then the mood swings to depression that can be severe, with fatigue, increased need for sleep, and heightened risk of suicide. Not everyone becomes hypomanic or depressed and sometimes bipolar folks=E2=80=99 mood swings are mostly high to normal, or mostly depressed to normal. But the quality of their moods is different from people just with depression, who may go in and out of depressed mood and back to normal. Note that while occasionally bipolar illness manifests in childhood or adolescence, typically it first shows up around age 20 or a little later.
2. The high of bipolar disorder is similar to how people get on meth or cocaine, so much so that addicts can seem to be bipolar when they=E2=80=99re not. After a period of sobriety, their moods normalize. And chemical dependency is a common side effect of untreated bipolar illness, so things can get really muddy.
3. People with borderline personality disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder can have symptoms similar to bipolar illness. That=E2=80=99s why the diagnosis can be tricky.
4. True bipolar illness is inherited. It=E2=80=99s a physical illness that=E2=80=99s not your fault. That=E2=80=99s the reason almost all folks will improve only with medication. And medication management can be difficult, so it=E2=80=99s easy to become discouraged until a competent psychiatrist figures out the correct regimen. The downside of requiring medication to treat is that patients often feel better and stop taking their mood stabilizers, or they get tired of feeling normal and want the natural high of the hypomanic phase. Stopping your drugs rarely turns out well.
