Due to bipolar disorder’s manic and depressive episodes, the condition comes with a unique set of challenges. These can inhibit daily life and make normal responsibilities (i.e. work, relationships) all the more difficult. Throughout this article, we’ll dive deeper into how bipolar affects you.

Bipolar Disorder Symptoms

To identify the effects of bipolar disorder, we must first look at the signs and symptoms. These are separated into three classes: ¹

Mania

Marked by periods of great excitement, euphoria, delusions, or overactivity. You may also experience the following sub-symptoms:

• Dabbling in behavior(s) deemed usually risky
• Distracted easily
• Fast in speech and movements
• Feeling wired or naturally high
• Heightened sensations, especially in smell and touch
• Increase in energy
• Interrupting, racing, or intrusive thoughts

Hypomania

Hypomania is similar to mania, but it’s less severe. A hypomanic episode may actually make you feel good and like your symptoms aren’t out of control.

Still, it’s best to be cautious about hypomania. If gone unchecked, hypomania can lead to full-blown manic symptoms. ²

Depression

Depression symptoms develop in cycles. Therefore, you’ll only experience this condition for periods. They include: ³

• Complications in attention, concentration, and decision-making
• Eating too much or too little
• Fatigue
• Hard time getting up and out of bed in the morning or during the day
• Little to no joy, wonder, or excitement in what usually interests you
• Suicidal thoughts or tendencies

How Does Bipolar Disorder Affect Your Life?

Naturally, these symptoms make bipolar difficult to live with. Luckily, there are some habits you can pick up to avoid the severity of symptoms. Here are five ways in which bipolar disorder affects your life:

1.) Food and Drink Habits

The nutrition we consume plays a major role in our mental health. In people with bipolar disorder, detrimental foods include: ⁴

• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Salt
• Saturated fats
• Sugar

As such, a healthy bipolar diet includes:

• Lean meats (i.e. chicken and turkey breast) for protein
• Fruits and veggies for digestion, mood, and vital nutrients and minerals. Examples include:
  • Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries (for certain vital vitamins)
  • Bananas (for serotonin)
  • Spinach (for energy)
• Whole grain-based pasta, cereals, and bread

Some professionals recommend keeping a food journal to have a written account of which foods and drinks you have consumed. This will help to keep your diet in balance. You can also document how certain foods may have helped ease certain bipolar symptoms.

2.) Wake and Sleep Cycle

Sleep disturbances are a core symptom of bipolar disorder. The prevalence of sleep issues is directly tied to mood dysregulations disrupting the circadian rhythm. ⁵ More specifically, depressive episodes bring about fatigue. Whereas manic episodes bring about anxiety and stress, leading to insomnia. ⁶

These irregular patterns make it difficult to stick to a sleep schedule. A lack of proper sleep is linked to other mental health concerns, including: ⁷

• Daytime sleepiness
• Depression
• Difficulty with concentration
• Hostility or frustration
• Mental fogginess

Certain medications (such as melatonin) may help to promote sleep.

3.) Work and Financial Responsibilities

If you struggle with mental health, there’s a good chance you struggle with normal responsibilities. In bipolar disorder, the constant mood and emotional shifts make it a challenge to maintain a job and salary. More specifically, bipolar makes it harder for you to consistently show up for work and leaves you more likely to be terminated from a job. ⁸

To have a healthier work-life balance, we recommend people with bipolar disorder to:

• Take breaks regularly, even if you’re not sure you need one.
• Practice relaxation methods like deep breathing and meditation.
• Listen to calming music or nature sounds.
• Go for a walk around the block during your break.
• Reach out to someone in your support network for a chat.

4.) Relationships

Bipolar disorder makes relationships with friends, colleagues, and significant others a challenge. The condition’s symptoms sometimes make strong emotional ties seem inaccessible. For example, in romantic relationships, mood swings may cause problems with intimacy.

Bipolar fluctuations often lead to long-term issues with consistency. It’s difficult for a person with bipolar to meet their partner’s needs and desires. Sex drive can also be hampered by treatment – most bipolar medication comes with the side effect of lowered sex drive and testosterone levels. ⁹

5.) Drug and Alcohol Difficulties

People with bipolar disorder may turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with symptoms. As such, a person may find themselves in the stages of addiction and have another condition to handle. ¹⁰

The development of a substance abuse disorder may also be linked to genetic factors. If you have a family member with the condition, you’re more likely to develop symptoms yourself. ¹¹

Bipolar Disorder and Other Mental Illnesses

Bipolar disorder has a set of symptoms that mirror other mental health conditions. In turn, this may cause confusion during diagnosis, most notably, anxiety and depression. ¹²

Misdiagnosing bipolar disorder can lead someone down the wrong treatment path. For example, a person can have symptoms and behaviors that are indicative of bipolar disorder, when in fact, they actually struggle with another condition, such as borderline personality disorder (BPD). ¹³

References

¹ Jain A, Mitra P. Bipolar Disorder. 2023 Feb 20. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan–. PMID: 32644424.

² Proudfoot J, Whitton A, Parker G, Doran J, Manicavasagar V, Delmas K. Triggers of mania and depression in young adults with bipolar disorder. J Affect Disord. 2012 Dec 20;143(1-3):196-202. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2012.05.052. Epub 2012 Aug 9. PMID: 22884233.

³ Baldessarini RJ, Vázquez GH, Tondo L. Bipolar depression: a major unsolved challenge. Int J Bipolar Disord. 2020 Jan 6;8(1):1. doi: 10.1186/s40345-019-0160-1. PMID: 31903509; PMCID: PMC6943098.

⁴ Beyer JL, Payne ME. Nutrition and Bipolar Depression. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2016 Mar;39(1):75-86. doi: 10.1016/j.psc.2015.10.003. Epub 2015 Dec 23. PMID: 26876319.

⁵ Harvey AG, Talbot LS, Gershon A. Sleep Disturbance in Bipolar Disorder Across the Lifespan. Clin Psychol (New York). 2009 Jun;16(2):256-277. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2850.2009.01164.x. PMID: 22493520; PMCID: PMC3321357.

⁶ Plante DT, Winkelman JW. Sleep disturbance in bipolar disorder: therapeutic implications. Am J Psychiatry. 2008 Jul;165(7):830-43. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2008.08010077. Epub 2008 May 15. PMID: 18483132.

⁷ Alanazi EM, Alanazi AMM, Albuhairy AH, Alanazi AAA. Sleep Hygiene Practices and Its Impact on Mental Health and Functional Performance Among Adults in Tabuk City: A Cross-Sectional Study. Cureus. 2023 Mar 16;15(3):e36221. doi: 10.7759/cureus.36221. PMID: 37069886; PMCID: PMC10105495.

⁸ Filia KM, Cotton SM, Watson AE, Jayasinghe A, Kerr M, Fitzgerald PB. Understanding the Barriers and Facilitators to Employment for People with Bipolar Disorder. Psychiatr Q. 2021 Dec;92(4):1565-1579. doi: 10.1007/s11126-021-09931-w. Epub 2021 Jun 7. PMID: 34097245.

⁹ Ghadirian AM, Annable L, Bélanger MC. Lithium, benzodiazepines, and sexual function in bipolar patients. Am J Psychiatry. 1992 Jun;149(6):801-5. doi: 10.1176/ajp.149.6.801. PMID: 1590497.

¹⁰ Bolton JM, Robinson J, Sareen J. Self-medication of mood disorders with alcohol and drugs in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. J Affect Disord. 2009 Jun;115(3):367-75. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2008.10.003. Epub 2008 Nov 11. PMID: 19004504.

¹¹ Deak JD, Johnson EC. Genetics of substance use disorders: a review. Psychol Med. 2021 Oct;51(13):2189-2200. doi: 10.1017/S0033291721000969. Epub 2021 Apr 21. Erratum in: Psychol Med. 2022 Mar 02;:1. PMID: 33879270; PMCID: PMC8477224.

¹² Perlis RH. Misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder. Am J Manag Care. 2005 Oct;11(9 Suppl):S271-4. PMID: 16232009.

¹³ Ruggero CJ, Zimmerman M, Chelminski I, Young D. Borderline personality disorder and the misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder. J Psychiatr Res. 2010 Apr;44(6):405-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2009.09.011. Epub 2009 Nov 3. PMID: 19889426; PMCID: PMC2849890.