This post was written by Dr. Timothy Kowaleski, Parkview Behavioral Health Institute.
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes a person’s mood to swing between really high energy (called mania) and really low energy (called depression). When someone with bipolar disorder drinks alcohol, it can make those mood swings even worse. In this post, we’ll dig into these risks a bit deeper and discuss potential interventions.
Why consuming alcohol is so dangerous for those with bipolar disorder
For someone with bipolar disorder, drinking alcohol is like making a wild roller coaster even more dangerous, increasing the challenges and making everything harder to control. During mania, individuals often make more impulsive decisions, which can lead to risky behavior. When a patient drinks when they are manic, it can lead to even riskier behavior due to the poor impulse control and over confidence.
If an individual is experiencing depression and consumes alcohol, since alcohol is a depressant, it can make depression deeper and harder to deal with.
Bipolar medication and alcohol
If someone is taking medications to treat bipolar disorder, alcohol needs to be limited, as alcohol can interfere with the medication’s effectiveness. Alcohol can also increase certain side effects, like drowsiness or confusion.
What you can do to help someone struggling with substance use and bipolar disorder
If someone with bipolar disorder isn’t ready to stop drinking completely, it's important to focus on making safer choices to reduce risk. While no alcoholic drink is truly safe, drinks with lower alcohol content, like light beer, cider or wine spritzers, are generally less risky than hard liquor.
It's also safer to drink slowly and avoid binge drinking, which can quickly worsen mood symptoms or interact dangerously with medications. Drinking outside of the time when medication is taken, staying hydrated and eating while drinking can help lessen alcohol’s impact on the body.
Get help
Finding behavioral health services for you or a loved one is as simple as making a phone call. Parkview Behavioral Health Institute HelpLine is available for individuals who are seeking behavioral health services or are experiencing a crisis. Call the PBHI HelpLine at 260-471-9440 or toll free at 800-284-8439, anytime 24 hours a day. Our experienced specialists can answer your questions, provide recommendations and help arrange care.
