Bipolar disorder significantly shortens life expectancy, with studies showing an average reduction of 11 to 20 years compared to the general population, often bringing the average lifespan down to around 67 years. This premature death is caused by higher rates of suicide, accidents, and increased prevalence of serious physical illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory issues, linked to both lifestyle factors (smoking, poor diet) and biological changes from the disorder itself.
Yes, it is absolutely very possible for people with bipolar disorder to live normal lives, in fact roughly two-thirds of people with bipolar disorder respond extremely well to treatment.
Bipolar 2 Disorder
Bipolar II disorder is diagnosed when a person experiences a pattern of depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes, but not the full-blown manic episodes found in bipolar I disorder. However, some Bipolar II patients may have longer lasting and more severe bouts of depression.
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.
Medications are essential for managing bipolar disorder, but lifestyle changes can support your treatment. Activities like art therapy, journaling, and relaxation techniques can help manage bipolar symptoms. Stick to a routine, eat a healthy diet, and exercise regularly to help stabilize your mood.
The Takeaway. A poor diet can contribute to bipolar mood episodes, and certain food choices may help manage them. People with bipolar disorder should avoid or limit caffeine, alcohol, sugar, salt, and saturated fats.
End-Stage Bipolar Disorder: Constant, severe symptoms that no longer respond to traditional treatments. Life expectancy is reduced by approximately 12 to 14 years in people with bipolar disorder, with a 1.6-fold to 2-fold increase in cardiovascular mortality.
Bipolar disorder and life expectancy
People with bipolar disorder may have a shortened lifespan and may experience biological aging at a faster rate. The disorder's associated behaviors and comorbid conditions such as cardiovascular disease can also impact life expectancy.
How many hours should a bipolar person sleep? People should try to sleep at least 7 hours per night, regardless of whether they have a condition such as bipolar disorder.
While they overlap in some ways, such as the risk for psychosis, their hallmark symptoms differ. Bipolar disorder involves extreme mood shifts between mania and depression, while schizophrenia primarily features persistent psychotic episodes.
People with bipolar I can have severe and even dangerous manic episodes. People with bipolar II have hypomanic episodes that are not as emotionally high as manic episodes but can have just as big of an effect.
As an alternative, non-stimulant medications such as atomoxetine (Strattera) are often considered safer for those with co-occurring bipolar disorder. Studies have indicated that atomoxetine can effectively manage ADHD symptoms without triggering manic episodes (Biederman et al., 2005).
Bipolar disorder is frequently inherited, with genetic factors accounting for approximately 80% of the cause of the condition. Bipolar disorder is the most likely psychiatric disorder to be passed down from family.
What types of bipolar disorder are there?
Ignoring a person with bipolar disorder can escalate their mood swings and trigger their negative emotions. It can be harmful to a person and your relationship with that person. This is because such a person might experience frequent changes in emotional stability.
Mood-stabilizing medicines help control manic or hypomanic episodes. They also may help depressive bouts. Examples include lithium (Lithobid), valproic acid, divalproex sodium (Depakote, Depakote ER), carbamazepine (Tegretol, Tegretol XR, Equetro, others) and lamotrigine (Lamictal).
Follow a mood-friendly diet
Many people with bipolar disorder struggle to achieve healthy eating patterns. In general, it is best to eat vegetables, fruits, fish, and whole grains.
About 25 percent of people with bipolar disorder have symptoms that follow a seasonal pattern. Most commonly, it manifests as an increased risk of depressive episodes in the winter and mania or hypomania in the spring and summer.
You can use a 48 hour rule where you wait at least 2 full days with 2 nights sleep before acting on risky decisions. Review your decision to avoid a tempting, but risky, behaviour.
Overall median (IQR) onset age was 24.0 (13.1) years, with moderate skewing toward ages 15-25 years, compared to a normal Gaussian distribution (Figure1). Peak prevalence at ages 15-25 years accounted for a majority (53.0%) of all 1,665 cases, and prevalence was <5% at ages <15, and >45 years.
Introduction
Antipsychotics for bipolar disorder
We found that a history of bipolar disorder significantly increases the risk of dementia in older adults. Our results provide robust evidence that mood disorders in general, and not only major depressive disorders, are associated with increased risk of dementia (17,18).
Other types. You may experience symptoms that don't fit into the other three bipolar categories. If this is the case, you're considered type 4, or “other.” This type of bipolar may be caused by factors in your life that can include drugs, alcohol, or underlying medical conditions.
Several recent articles have further explored reasons for this decreased life expectancy, including elevated rates of substance use, tobacco smoking, and suicide attempts. People with bipolar disorder are more likely to die from cardiovascular, circulatory, and respiratory diseases than the general population.