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Drug Induced Bi-Polar Disorder Q&A

Thanks to Hollywood, addiction has received a great deal of light in frequent years as one star after another is forced to enter a heroin rehab-, alcohol rehab-, or cocaine rehab program. This can be good and bad. First and foremost, it does call attention to a very serious condition being faced by thousands, if not millions throughout this country and beyond. It is important that the general public come to understand that addiction is out of the hands of the sufferer. There is much more involved than simply having a ‘just stop’ mentality. Often the fact that the person has reached the point of addiction has more to do with outside factors and even genetics than it has to do with the drug itself. Whether from a prescription bottle or from the streets, people generally use drugs to ‘medicate’ their problems. Unfortunately, this can lead to a vast array of problems. Among them is the concept of drug-induced bipolar disorder.

As more know, bi-polar disorder is a condition that causes a person to fluctuate drastically in mood and outlook. These mood swings can happen at a moment’s notice. The periods of mania and depression can last for very long periods of time or mere moments and no one can be quite sure when the ‘flip of the switch’ will happen. It is a very serious and dangerous condition when left untreated, because sufferers can become harmful to themselves or those around them.

Who can be diagnosed with drug-induced bipolar disease?

Any regular drug user can fall victim to this disorder. The exact reason why this occurs is not entirely understood, but the symptoms of drug-induced bi polar disorder have been seen in patients received doctor ordered medications as well as in actual street addicts. The full criteria of normal bi-polar condition do not have to be met to be diagnosed with the drug-induced version, though many of the symptoms are the same. It is important to understand that typically people diagnosed would have already been predisposed to mood disorders.

What causes this reaction?

As mentioned above, the medical community does not fully understand what causes this reaction in the brain. It could be that the condition already existed there and was simply made worse by the addition of the drug; it could be that the drug is the initial cause, or it could be that the person was literally poisoned either through overdose or impure variations of the ‘medication.’

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of the drug-induced version of bipolar disorder are very much like those of the standard disease. In the manic phase, the person is likely to exhibit grandiose gestures for attention coupled with paranoia about who is watching them. They can become irritable, impulsive, and will fail to make sense when speaking. It is the disconnected thought pattern and aggressive behaviors that make people in this phase – as opposed to depression, which is linked to sadness, fatigue, and lack of motivation – a serious danger. It can reach a point where the person is incapable of caring for him- or herself. There is the potential for a sufferer to inflict self harm or to hurt others.

What is the best course of action?

The absolute right thing to do if you feel that someone is suffering from any type of bipolar disorder is to get help. This is not something that should be managed on your own. In the case of the drug-induced version, it is wise to get the person to a drug rehabcenter in Austin TX right away. It is essential that you be tough, step up, and say something. Remember, the best friends are the ones that will admit that ‘enough is enough.’ This is not a bad person that you are dealing with. He or she is just in a bad situation and getting clean is the first step to getting well. It will likely require several years of intensive rehab programs in order to offer effective relapse prevention and to ensure that the mental status of the patient is corrected.