Bipolar Disorder & Alcohol Abuse?

lou-cooney

Hi Guys,
I have a few questions for you!
Does bipolar and alcohol abuse go hand in hand???
Can an alcoholic be misdiagnosed with BPD?
I know you will say there is always a chance of misdiagnosis but i suppose what i am asking is, is it common?

Any info re. Bipolar would be greatly appreicated.
Excuse my ignorance i am not a psychologist. I have a personal intrest.

Regards
lou

biko

A recent study performed at Columbia University has shown a link between alcohol abuse and co-occurring psychiatric disorders, personality disorders and suicidal ideation in teens and young adults.

The study of 81 18-30 year olds receiving treatment showed that 71.9% of the group dealing with alcohol abuse also received a diagnosis of some form of psychiatric disorder, most notably depressive and anxiety disorders. Of those with alcohol abuse problems and a co-occurring psychiatric disorder such as depressive disorder or anxiety, 22.2% reported thoughts of suicide, while none of those with depressive or anxiety disorders in the control group of non-alcoholics reported suicidal ideation. That’s a striking difference.

Along those same lines, 70% of those suffering with alcohol abuse were diagnosed with a personality disorder, most commonly borderline personality disorder or histrionic personality disorder.

Traditionally, alcohol dependency has been treated as a separate and primary issue with little attention paid to underlying causes. Essentially, alcohol dependency has been treated as its own disease. Many alcohol dependency treatment centers do not explore possible cases of depression or anxiety, taking a much more hard-nosed stance by attempting to teach patients to stay sober in spite of their problems. In reality, it may be these very problems that are making it so difficult—or, at the very least, so miserable—for them to stay sober.

The strong correlation shown between anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, suicidal ideation and alcohol abuse calls us to take a second look. Questions still remain as to which came first. It is likely that alcohol abuse can worsen symptoms of depression or anxiety, but it is also possible that symptoms of depression and anxiety led patients to take the first drink and seek alcohol as an escape. Further research needs to be done as to where the link comes from. *

lou-cooney

Wow,
Thank you for that. It was extreamly helpful!!

hotspur

lou-cooney wrote: »

Hi Guys,
I have a few questions for you!
Does bipolar and alcohol abuse go hand in hand???

Bipolar disorder and alcoholism do not necessarily go hand in hand, however dual diagnosis is extremely common with a substance disorder.

lou-cooney wrote: »

Can an alcoholic be misdiagnosed with BPD?
I know you will say there is always a chance of misdiagnosis but i suppose what i am asking is, is it common?

Bipolar disorder is something which can be misdiagnosed very easily.
How common is it? Some studies have shown misiagnosis rates of up to 70%. Actual misdiagnosis is more likely with another mood disorder however. With an alcohol disorder then comormidity is probably more likely. Many bipolar people self medicate or experience impulse control deficiencies during mania which can lead to substance abuse. Up to half of people with bipolar disorder also have an alcohol abuse / dependence problem.

Dual diagnosis and treatment is still not as salient a feature of mental health care in this country as it should be. Up until a couple of years ago there weren't even any procedures or policies in place relating to it in Ireland.

Here is a link for a summary of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic & Statistical Manual criteria for bipolar disorder:
http://allpsych.com/disorders/mood/bipolar.html

And for substance disorders alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence:
http://allpsych.com/disorders/substance/substanceabuse.html
http://allpsych.com/disorders/substance/substancedependence.html

mollybird

yes i do also believe they go hand in hand. bi polar can be easily be mis diagnosed as i have witnessed to someone i know. i think they should take a good look as to what medication the person is on before they start giving out diagnosis.

lou-cooney

Thanks for your reply mollybird,
which way is it mis diagnosed? I know people have been mis diagnosed with alcoholism when it was actually bi polar. But does it ever happen the other way around?????? and what does it mean if it is both????? do you have one because of the other??????

mollybird

lou that i don't know. it seems to me it's different for everyone. i studied a bit about it last semester in college and im still confused about it.

Aved

They don't necessarily go hand in hand as alcoholism is considered an addiction disorder and Bi-Polar is primarily seen as a mood disorder. However, there is a notion that if mental illnesses, like Bi-polar disorder have a reoccurring history within a family, it is advised not to take any drugs or drink excessively as it might be a major component that triggers the disorder.
People can have a pre disposition genetically to developing bi-polar disorder. In 50% of cases the sufferer has family members that suffer with the disorder also.
The symptoms of bi-polar disorder and addiction are quite different but some aspects do overlap.
Bi-Polar disorder is often mis diagnosed with illnesses such as schizophrenia as they have similar components and behavioral outcomes.

Gibs

Here's a useful screening tool for Bipolar disorder. It is not sufficient for diagnosis but it has reasonable sensitivity and is used a lot by mental health professionals as a starting point.

The rest of the site is also well worth reading as it has a huge amount of useful information about Bipolar Disorder.

Valmont

hotspur wrote: »

Bipolar disorder is something which can be misdiagnosed very easily.
How common is it? Some studies have shown misiagnosis rates of up to 70%

Hotspur, do you have a reference or even a name for the study of the misdiagnoses? I'd like to have a read of it.

eth0_

It's fairly common for people with mental illness to (maybe sub-consciously) self-medicate with alcohol and other drugs like cocaine and marijuana.

Travors

Hi Lou,
If you're stressed or worried about some else's drinking I'd recommend you drop into al-anon meeting. When I eventually got up the courage to go to a meeting it turned out to be the best decision I ever made.

Regards,
T
Serenitytips.com