Fasting during the Ramadan month increased the risk of relapse among bipolar patients by 2.77 fold in comparison to non-fasters (95% CI: 1.233 to 6.254, p=0.014).
Fasting may either improve or destabilize mood in people with bipolar disorder by disrupting circadian rhythm and sleep. Fasting might exacerbate underlying eating disorders.
Another useful paradigm studied is the intermittent fasting Moslems undergo during the month of Ramadan. Studies in these subjects have found decreased anxiety, and, in those with bipolar affective disorder, a reduction of both manic and depressive symptoms.
The known maladaptive types of coping mechanisms, or negative coping skills, evident in BD patients are “… rumination, catastrophism, self-blame, substance use, risk-taking, behavioral disengagement, problem-direct coping, venting of emotions, or mental disengagement” (Apaydin & Atagun, 2018).
The Effect of Short-Term Fasting on Human Psychological Health. Some studies reported that short-term fasting can increase negative emotions (depression, anxiety, anger, irritability, fatigue, and tension) and decrease positive emotions and vitality [25–29].
Fasting can lead to many changes throughout the body, some of which may affect a person's mood and mental health. A 2022 paper notes that short-term fasting has been linked to an increase in depression, anxiety, irritability, and tension.
As per experts, intermittent fasting can affect one's moods. During fasting due to drop in blood sugar level, the cortisol or the stress hormone of the body increases. Restricting food can also affect the level of serotonin or the happy hormone in the body.
A stressful circumstance or situation often triggers the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Examples of stressful triggers include: the breakdown of a relationship. physical, sexual or emotional abuse.
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.
Positive effects. Other studies suggest fasting can increase positive moods and vitality, and decrease negative moods. In a 2016 study of fasting among healthy women, fasting helped increase positive feelings, including a sense of: achievement.
Eating disorders may occur more frequently in bipolar disorder because of the symptoms of depression, mania, and hypomania — all of which can affect your appetite and eating habits. Depression, for example, can lead to either increased or decreased appetite.
The most effective treatment for bipolar disorder is a combination of medication and psychotherapy. Most people take more than one drug, like a mood-stabilizing drug and an antipsychotic or antidepressant.
There is no cure for bipolar disorder, and changes to the brain can be permanent. However, treatments for bipolar disorder, such as lithium, may have a “normalizing effect” on the brain. The author of a 2015 review concluded that the use of lithium or mood stabilizers is associated with increases in gray matter volume.
In some studies studying the parental effects in bipolar disorder, the father's effect is also reported. In a study conducted with a large sample, the prevalence of disease was found to be higher in children of fathers with bipolar disorder than in the children of mothers with bipolar disorder (15).
Bipolar disorder often runs in families, and research suggests this is mostly explained by heredity—people with certain genes are more likely to develop bipolar disorder than others. Many genes are involved, and no one gene can cause the disorder.
Positive psychological traits of spirituality, empathy, creativity, realism, and resilience are frequently observed in bipolar individuals [239].
With bipolar rage there does not necessarily need to be a trigger, it can show up without warning and is always absent of reason. It chooses chaos, it's not the individual choosing to lose control. If anything, control is something we're desperate to have and that desperation only makes our anger more chaotic.
A “bipolar meltdown” is, much like “bipolar anger,” a very stigmatizing phrase, and not something that really exists. The phrase “bipolar meltdown” could refer to a bipolar person having a manic episode or being in a depressed state.
Some people should steer clear of trying intermittent fasting: Children and teens under age 18. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. People with type 1 diabetes who take insulin.
Benefits of Fasting
You might have headaches or pain points at the beginning of the process. But after your body clears itself of toxins, your brain has access to a cleaner bloodstream, resulting in clearer thoughts, better memory, and increased sharpness of your other senses.
According to our results, the levels of serotonin in plasma of fasting states were significantly higher than those levels in non-fasting controls.