The life expectancy for someone with bipolar disorder is approximately 67 years old. A 2021 study researched the effect of bipolar disorder on longevity and found that: risk of death is 2.6 times greater than the general population. the average life span is between 8–12 years shorter than the general population.
Bipolar disorder is associated with a two- to threefold increased risk of premature mortality, including not only suicide death, but also cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and cancer.
Bipolar disorder may worsen with age or over time if the condition is left untreated. As time goes on, a person may experience episodes that are more severe and more frequent than when symptoms first appeared.
Patients with BD often have cognitive complaints as part of their psychiatric disorder but are at an increased risk of developing dementia, including FTD.
Although symptoms may come and go, bipolar disorder usually requires lifelong treatment and does not go away on its own. Bipolar disorder can be an important factor in suicide, job loss, ability to function, and family discord. However, proper treatment can lead to better functioning and improved quality of life.
While bipolar disorder cannot develop into schizophrenia, it's possible to experience symptoms of both. Before you consult a mental health professional, here are a few things you should know about the two conditions.
If one parent has bipolar disorder, there's a 10% chance that their child will develop the illness. If both parents have bipolar disorder, the likelihood of their child developing bipolar disorder rises to 40%.
Symptoms of mental illness often become worse during the spring season. For patients with mood disorders, the phrase “spring fever” has a different meaning. Previous studies have reported that the incidence of mania peaks during the spring in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres [1].
In short, bipolar disorder may sound like a serious diagnosis, but with the right tools, supports and a commitment to be healthy, it is manageable for many. Not only can you live a normal life with bipolar disorder, you can lead a full and rewarding life.
People living with or caring for someone with bipolar disorder can have a tough time. During episodes of illness, the personalities of people with bipolar disorder may change, and they may become abusive or even violent. Sometimes social workers and the police may become involved.
Bipolar disorder is a lifelong mental condition. There's no cure, but you can manage it with medication, talk therapy, and other forms of treatment.
Memory loss is a frustrating and overwhelming challenge for as many as 40 to 60 percent of people with bipolar disorder. That's according to a research article published in the August 2017 International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology .
This was a question recently asked of me, “can people with a mental illness, like bipolar disorder, live alone?” The answer to me was obvious – yes! Absolutely. Of course a person, even with a serious mental illness, can live alone.
People with bipolar disorder often have a close family member who also has this condition. The exact inheritance pattern of bipolar disorder is unclear, but variations in many genes likely combine to increase a person's chance of developing it. Some environmental factors also play a role in triggering its symptoms.
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.
Mothers and fathers diagnosed with bipolar disorder can still be great parents. What people don't understand is that bipolar disorder is a medical illness just like cancer or diabetes, and it requires medication to treat the symptoms of the illness. If treated, we can be wonderful parents.
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.
Cyclothymia, or cyclothymic disorder, causes mood changes – from feeling low to emotional highs. Cyclothymia has many similarities to bipolar disorder.
While many recognize it as a condition characterized by “high” and “low” mood swings, BD symptoms can also include auditory hallucinations. In fact, up to 25 per cent of people who have BD experience auditory hallucinations at some point during their illness.
“When you're in a hypomanic or manic state, you're also more likely to feel you're in love,” says Haase. “You may then act on that feeling when making major long-term life decisions, not understanding your state had something to do with what you were feeling.”
After a manic or hypomanic episode you might: Feel very unhappy or ashamed about how you behaved. Have made commitments or taken on responsibilities that now feel unmanageable. Have only a few clear memories of what happened during your episode, or none at all.
Sleep, darkness, reduced activity, and/or endogenous rhythms could contribute to the tendency to switch into depression overnight. Clinicians should attend to the time of day that clinical assessments are performed in patients with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder.