Untreated Bipolar Disorder Is Associated with A Higher Risk of Domestic Violence

Bipolar disorder, formerly known as bipolar depression, is a severe mental illness characterized by extreme mood swings, attitudes, and energy levels. Many people who show signs of domestic violence may have mental health problems, such as bipolar disorder. This mental health condition called “bipolar disorder” was previously called “manic depression.” It is characterized by mood swings that alternate between extreme emotional peaks or lows.

In research, approximately 60 percent of people with bipolar disorder had uncontrollable aggression tendencies in the past.

Bipolar disorder, like aggression, could result in domestic violence, poses a severe risk to the individual’s health and well-being likewise those of others around them. People with this issue have a higher percentage of relationship problems, fistfights, financial instability, accidents, and suicides than the general population. Additionally, they are also more likely to develop anti-social behavior particularly domestic violence than most other people if they do not already have it.

The Meaning Bipolar Disorder

The central nervous system employs complex neurochemical transmitters in the brain and nervous system to regulate sentimental operations.

The Following Essential Roles Are Directly Related to Small Variations in The Levels of These Chemicals:

  • Positive and negative feelings
  • Memories’ development and memory
  • Controlling the impulses
  • Anxiety and stress relief

Individuals that have an excess or deficiency in this chemical system can have moments that are marked by Significant depression and emotional dementia. Emotional numbness, constant grief, weeping, lack of motivation, feelings of hopelessness and desperation, and suicidal thoughts, gestures, or acts are some of the most common symptoms of depression, while common symptoms of bipolar mania vary slightly.

If a person struggles with bipolar disorder and domestic violence, they may have a Dual Diagnosis of bipolar disorder and domestic violence. Being diagnosed with Dual Diagnosis or a co-occurring condition makes recovery very difficult. Bipolar individuals, on the other hand, may experience episodes of extreme domestic violence alternated with periods of heightened episodes and an exaggerated sense of self-importance. Emotional instability interferes with the recovery program, making it challenging to comply with the treatment plan’s guidelines.

Dual Diagnosis rehab programs are modeled to meet the needs of patients who face this complicated psychiatric condition. The staff is specially trained with credentials in mental health and domestic violence specialists; some centers offer care that incorporates the best treatment plans for bipolar disorder with the most effective treatments for addiction.

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Does Bipolar and Domestic Violence Have Any Connection?

Non-Treated Bipolar Disorder Patients Are More Likely to Engage in Domestic Violence for The Accompanying Facts:

  • Substance abuse additionally exacerbates domestic violence.
  • Mania can lead to issues with emotion regulation
  • Reckless sexual conduct can cause damage to the bipolar person’s partner
  • Major psychosis may cause suicidal ideation or behaviors.

Because of the disease’s ever-changing existence, bystanders are often uncertain of how to brace themselves and urge their loved ones to seek aid if their loved ones suffer from bipolar disorder

It’s not easy to explain the increased rate of substance abuse and dependence on chemicals among people having a bipolar disorder issue. The major reason for this is that many individuals attempt to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol to stop the painful symptoms of the ailment. This, in turn, breeds their aggression drive to abnormal levels manifesting in episodes of domestic violence.

If only for a little while. Meanwhile, the National Institute of Mental Health states that when you drink alcohol and making use of drugs may bring about depressed or manic moods, which result in explosive demonstrations of domestic violence. The relationship between bipolar disorder and domestic violence can be influenced by age and gender. According to the journal, substance abuse is said to be more common in young males than in other demographic groups. Young men are more likely to take risky risks or act on deep self-destructive urges than females or older men. People who suffer from bipolar disorder are much less likely to misuse drugs than young people.

Clinical researchers believe that brain chemistry may influence bipolar disorder and substance abuse resulting in domestic violence. According to WebMD, people having issues with the medical condition most times have beyond normal levels of, norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. These chemicals influence your brain’s functions such as sleep, metabolism, appetite, and your body’s response to stress. They also affect your mood and emotions. They trigger aggression with domestic violence.

Taking heavy doses of drugs or alcohol can cause your brain to process these chemicals erratically, causing emotional instability, erratic energy levels, and psychosis.

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

Every human experiences intense moments of sadness, anger, joy, but for someone with this medical condition, these moments are overwhelming and uncontrollable. There are four types of episodes that people with bipolar disorder experience, they are mania, hypomania, mixed episodes, and depression.

Therapeutic Methods

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) & Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) have proven useful for teaching Dual Diagnosis patients how to control their emotional feelings and prevent themselves from being taken over by dramatic mood twists.

When you are diagnosed with a bipolar disorder that is dual and domestic violence, group counseling is essential for recovery. You’ll hear about the common causes and risk factors that people with this medical condition face in treatment during peer group support groups and therapy sessions. You’ll have room to share your experiences with others and acquire new coping strategies from others.

Psychotherapeutic medication is widely used in dual diagnosis centers to treat the medical condition. Mood-stabilizing medications may be taken in combination with antipsychotics or antidepressants to provide a full range of treatment options.

Given the difficulty of treating patients with comorbid bipolar disorder and domestic violence, the influence of substance use on this ailment sheds some light. A multifaceted approach that includes both pharmacotherapy and psychosocial interventions may be essential. As a result, Dr. Gold and colleagues performed a retrospective study of eight psychosocial treatment trials for bipolar disorder and drug use disorder that were comorbid. Despite the mixed results of the studies (6 for alcohol and illegal drugs, and 2 for smoking), the researchers found comprehensive group therapy to be the most consistent treatment for comorbidities.

“In the absence of formal guidelines, clinicians should consider how an integrated treatment addressing both mood and substance use symptoms can provide specific benefits for a patient that’s bipolar and exhibits signs of domestic violence.”

Challenges to Recovery

Addiction professionals face several challenges in treating bipolar patients with domestic violence issues. For one thing, most of the symptoms of this medical condition are similar to those of drugs and domestic violence. Therefore, when a person does seek professional help, it is difficult to see where the mental disorder stops and the domestic violence begins. Furthermore, even the most well-intentioned drug rehab services cannot detect a patient’s concurrent bipolar disorder. Many people do not receive the care they need and are asked to leave recovery programs because they do not respond to conventional treatment methods. A lack of motivation or energy levels, for instance, can interfere with treatment plans during a depressive episode. In a manic state, clients appear unfocused, talkative, impatient, aggressive, or grandiose.

How to Treat Bipolar Disorders and Domestic Violence with Success

A Bipolar Disorder and Domestic Violence Program Include These Features:

  • Centralized care provided in a rehab facility
  • Treatment from the team of psychologists, domestic violence therapists, and other professionals skilled in dual diagnosis 
  • Psychotherapy aimed at managing your emotions and reducing the risks of domestic violence
  • Medication prescribed a described by a doctor to help you handle the ups and downs of bipolar disorder
  • Group support for those who are dealing with domestic violence and bipolar disorder 

Treatment for this medical condition is insufficient without treating domestic violence, and vice versa. You are more likely to relapse if you do not receive comprehensive treatment for both bipolar disorders. For those with this medical condition, relapse prevention techniques must provide coping skills for dealing with social and emotional causes for domestic violence.

The U.S. DHHS maintains that treatment for individuals with co-occurring disorders should move at their own pace. Patients with Dual Diagnosis should have a treatment plan tailored to their unique needs, bipolar disorder. To accurately deal with the challenges and complexities, all the team members involved in the treatment should be professionals in mental health, aggression, and rehab care. Communication between team members and the patient is crucial for ensuring that the treatment is effective for bipolar disorder.

The Dual Diagnosis treatment facilities understand the overlapping nature of the bipolar disorder and domestic violence. Dedicated treatment facilities specifically designed for a person with this medical condition can provide appropriate treatment at a more reasonable pace. Treatment centers in California and Tennessee are staffed by experts who understand what it takes to help an individual with a co-occurring condition get well again. These well-regarded institutions change lives. They help treat both bipolar disorder and domestic with equal care and thoroughness.

Also, know that it is not uncommon for the partner of a bipolar individual to resort to holding an intervention to convince his or her partner that help is needed and available. Until recently, bipolar disorder and domestic violence were diagnosed separately and treated at various facilities. People diagnosed with this condition were treated at mental health treatment centers or psychiatric clinics while those with domestic violence were referred to rehab centers.

As it stands now there is no available remedy for bipolar disorder, mental health experts have figured out many very active treatment tools, including medical care and various forms of counseling, that can reduce symptoms significantly Integrated treatment involves several various forms of treatment. For instance, your treatment plan might include counseling sessions with a domestic violence specialist, or one-on-one sessions with a mental health professional, Dual Diagnosis support groups, family counseling, and holistic therapy.

Contact us immediately at 615-490-9376 if you or someone you love suffers from this medical condition and shows behaviors similar to domestic violence. Remember, only those who work with Dual Diagnosis patients regularly are equipped to handle bipolar disorder and other related illnesses.

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