Research has found that bipolar disorder often causes financial difficulties. For example, one study published in 2018 in the Journal of Mental Health uncovered a vicious cycle of poor mental health and compulsive buying. However, there are ways to curb spending and be financially stable amidst illness.
During a manic episode, people with bipolar disorder may have an inflated self-esteem, less of an urge to sleep, and they may be easily distracted. They also may be more likely to engage in risky behavior, according to the American Psychiatric Association—and for some, that includes spending impulsively.
Helpful Traits
The authors reviewed 81 studies that noted positive characteristics in patients with bipolar and found a strong association with five qualities: spirituality, empathy, creativity, realism, and resilience.
High Achievement with Bipolar Disorder
Seemingly, the traits that make high achievers—energy, confidence, unconventional thinking, and a high tolerance for risk—are also linked to the milder stages of hypomania. There's a reason bipolar has been called a “CEO's disease.”
They found that 12 risk genes for bipolar disorder were also linked to intelligence. In 75 % of these genes, bipolar disorder risk was associated with higher intelligence. In schizophrenia, there was also a genetic overlap with intelligence, but a higher proportion of the genes was associated with cognitive impairment.
Bipolar disorder is linked to a specific kind of intelligence. The connection between intelligence and bipolar disorder is largely seen in those with high verbal IQ (VIQ). ¹ This type of intelligence is associated with creativity, abstract reasoning, and comprehension through spoken and written words.
Mania and hypomania are distinct episodes but with the same symptoms. During manic episodes, individuals with bipolar disorder may exhibit grandiose delusions, such as believing they have special powers or abilities, or that they are destined for greatness.
Are my periods of happiness just mania? My short answer is: Yes, a person who lives with bipolar disorder can certainly be truly happy.
Dealing with the ups and downs of bipolar disorder can be difficult—and not just for the person with the illness. The moods and behaviors of a person with bipolar disorder affect everyone around—especially family members and close friends. It can put a strain on your relationship and disrupt all aspects of family life.
Messiness as a sign of an episode of mania
Overspending may result in a lot of purchases that you may not have room for at home. In turn, this could lead to cluttering. All these behaviors during an episode of mania could make messiness more likely to occur for some people living with bipolar disorder.
One of the hallmark signs of mania is impaired judgment. This causes you to participate in extremely risky or dangerous behaviors. You do things without even considering the consequences of your actions. Gambling and hypersexuality are some of the risky behaviors linked to manic episodes.
People with BPD feel firmly attached to their favorite person and may depend on them for comfort, reassurance, and guidance. In many cases, someone with BPD may rely entirely on their favorite person. As a result, they may idealize them and expect them to always be available.
Outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, gardening, outdoor yoga, or walking can contribute positively to mood control and stress reduction. Eco-therapy activities also help minimize symptoms of depression.
How many hours should someone with bipolar disorder sleep? People living with bipolar disorder should aim to get the recommended amount of sleep for their age. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends more than seven hours per night for adults.
Bipolar disorder may make it more difficult for you to interpret people's emotions. Missed clues make it harder for you to empathize when others feel happy or sad. If someone is feeling troubled, you may lack enough empathy to be moved to help.
Feeling abandoned and unloved during bipolar depression is not reality; it's a symptom of the illness—and it can be treated.
Hypersexuality can exist as a sign of bipolar disorder or on its own. Also referred to as compulsive sexual behavior or sexual addiction, hypersexuality is described as a dysfunctional preoccupation with sexual fantasies, urges, or behaviors that are difficult to control.
A person with bipolar disorder is naturally uncooperative and rebellious. This disorder triggers violent behavior. Manic episodes are characterized by “crazy” behavior. Most people with this disorder are “hyper” much of the time.
It's common for someone with bipolar disorder to hurt and offend their partner. When someone is first diagnosed, there are often relationship issues that need to be addressed. Couples counseling can help you: Understand that there's an illness involved in the hurtful behavior.
Bipolar disorder can cause your mood to swing from an extreme high to an extreme low. Manic symptoms can include increased energy, excitement, impulsive behaviour, and agitation. Depressive symptoms can include lack of energy, feeling worthless, low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts.
Individuals in the lowest decile of manic features had a mean full-scale IQ (FSIQ) which was almost 10 points lower than those in the highest decile of manic features: mean FSIQ 100.71 (95% CI 98.74–102.6) v. 110.14 (95% CI 107.79–112.50), P>0.001.
Poor judgement is a hallmark of bipolar disorder. It can distort our perception of relationships, needs and behaviors.
Rapid speech
Some people are naturally talkative; we all know a motormouth or Chatty Cathy. But "pressured speech" is one of the most common symptoms of bipolar disorder.