This therapy uses an integrated approach; participants discuss topics that are relevant to both disorders, such as insomnia, emphasizing common aspects of recovery and relapse. Lithium has been the standard treatment for bipolar disorder for several decades. Unfortunately, several studies have reported that substance abuse is a predictor of poor response difference between crack and coke of bipolar disorder to lithium. More specifically, as stated previously, compared to non-substance abusers, alcoholics appear to be at greater risk for developing mixed mania and rapid cycling. Researchers have found that patients with mixed mania respond less well to lithium than patients with the nonmixed form of the disorder (Prien et al. 1988).

What does it mean to drink in moderation?

Other guidelines, e.g., the Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) do not recommend CBT but rather the integrated group therapy (IGT) developed by Weiss and colleagues which includes CBT and psychoeducation components. IGT has been studied in a pilot study (92) and 2 separate RCTs (93, 94) comparing it with either group drug counseling or no treatment. This manualized program with 20 weekly group sessions demonstrated effectiveness both for the prevention of alcohol and bipolar relapses (93) even at 8-month follow-up.

1. While mania in bipolar disorder can leave a person feeling invulnerable, their body and minds are breaking down from the illness and will likely end up in the hospital, where they can get help.
2. Many of the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy are commonly applied in the treatment of both mood disorders and alcoholism.
3. The Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism is a family pedigree investigation that enrolled treatment-seeking alcohol-dependent probands who met the DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence (70).
4. Compared with placebo, sertraline/CBT combined treatment reduced alcohol consumption on drinking days.27 This combination was effective in reducing depression, especially in females.
5. The effects of bipolar disorder vary between individuals and also according to the phase of the disorder that the person is experiencing.

How does alcohol affect bipolar disorder?

Alcohol can also increase the sedative effects of any mood stabilizers being used to treat bipolar disorder. Providers may treat bipolar disorder and alcohol use disorder sequentially (one before the other), independently (by barbiturates themselves), or using an integrative approach (together). There is also the possibility that bipolar disorder and alcohol addiction symptoms will present concurrently, which adds a level of complexity to the diagnosis.

People who are both alcohol abusers and bipolar will notice overlaps between the disorders.

Forty-one percent of people who seek treatment for current alcohol abuse have a mood disorder. Regular drinking can also affect overall mental health and well-being, in part because alcohol may worsen symptoms of certain mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. Every day, we find ourselves facing choices that, on the surface, seem inconsequential. Yet, for individuals with bipolar disorder, the choice to drink can have real impacts and implications.

All About Substance Use and Bipolar Disorder

Research found that alcohol-dependent patients with depression responded to desipramine.46 Desipramine yielded prolonged abstinence in patients with depression who were using alcohol but not in alcohol users without depression. Compared with placebo, sertraline/CBT combined treatment reduced alcohol consumption on drinking days.27 This combination was effective in reducing depression, especially in females. The information in this blog is provided as a general educational resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purpose. This information should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment and does not create any patient-physician relationship between you and Cerebral.

Several studies have demonstrated success with cognitive behavioral therapy in treating alcoholism (Project MATCH Research Group 1998). Many of the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy are commonly applied in the treatment of both mood disorders and alcoholism. Weiss and colleagues (1999) have developed a relapse prevention group therapy using cognitive behavioral therapy techniques for treating patients with comorbid bipolar disorder and substance use disorder.

When a person takes their medication, they are in a better position to manage their condition. However, adhering to treatment can be difficult how to detox your body while pregnant for some people with bipolar disorder. Addictive behavior and alcohol and substance abuse are common among people with bipolar disorder.

For AUD, however, a recent meta-analysis of 22 studies showed no difference between BD-I (OR 3.78) and BD-II (OR 3.81) (28). A recent catchment area study in Northeast England found a 40% lifetime comorbidity between BD II and AUD, surprisingly with little difference between female (38%) and male (43%) subjects (36). SUD comorbidity is not exclusive to adult bipolar patients but starts early in life. Pediatric onset BD rarely occurs in the absence of comorbid conditions, and the co-occurrence of additional disorders complicates both the accurate diagnosis of BD and its treatment. Manifestation of BD in children and adolescents is not as infrequent as previously assumed, with rates of bipolar spectrum disorder reaching an estimated 4%, especially in US samples (10).

Integrated treatment can occur either at the programmatic level or at the individual or group patient level. This series of studies on bipolar subjects with alcohol dependence examined the response to an inpatient integrated four-week psychoeducational programme with appropriate individualised pharmacotherapy. When followed up at six months post-discharge, various positive prognostic factors were identified, including early abstinence, baseline low anxiety, and engagement with an aftercare programme (Farren and McElroy, 2010). By two years, however, different positive prognostic factors emerged including female gender (Farren et al., 2011). However no difference in prognosis was found when subjects were divided by which disorder came first (Farren et al., 2011). While they are complex and impact every area of a person’s life, most mental illnesses and alcohol addiction are treatable conditions.