is bipolar dangerous?

Question

i have a person i know that says bipolar can be very dangerous but on the other hand the friend that has it tells me that bipolar is only a case of mood swings.
is it hard to live w/ some one w/ bipolar if so are they dangerous at times?
thanks

Answer 1

Yes bipolar disorder, untreated can be deadly. 15% of all bipolar people will successfully kill themselves and at least 25% of bipolar patients will attempt suicide. Now if one adds the amount of people who die by acting stupid during mania, then bipolar disorder looks a lot like a terminal disease. The good news is the medication lithium reduces the number in half and if the disease is under control then one does not have to end up on suicide watch. Bipolar is not something to take lightly because one bad mood swing can cause someone to fall off the deep end. This is why therapy and medicine are so important and if there is a sudden change in mood the doctor needs to know right away. It's better to stop a problem at the beginning then to have to suffer.

Answer 2

Chuck Norris, you are a dangerous and sick person. Please someone put him out of our misery!

No. Most mentally ill and most bipolar are not dangerous. Of course, severe mood swings can cause some danger if the person uses bad judgment- but more then often they are more of a danger to themselves. Suicide rate is very high for bipolars. A person may have serious thoughts of suicide while in a depressed state, and then as they pull out of it and into a manic state they may act on those impulses. Many have problems with temper. We're easily frustrated with the world around us. But we learn very easily how to channel that temper and seldom do anything to hurt other people or even pets. For the most part most of us are just very sensitive and emotional people who need understanding. There is a place in this world where sensitivity is a good thing. Helping others is one of them. Personally, I'd rather live in a world where everyone was bipolar and sensitive then live a world where there was even one Chuck Norris.

Answer 3

My personal experience with the disorder says..
Depressed people can be a serious danger to themselves..
Manic people can oftenly be a serious danger to the people around them..

Medication greatly reduces the chances for this.

Being bipolar is different in different ways for everybody suffering with the affliction.
Depression keeps these people out of the public view. For the most part, they internalize all that is happening in their head for fear of affecting the ones around them.
The manic side of being bipolar brings out an overly social side to the same person. It is frustrating to them that they are so misunderstood.. they know everything about everything, and everything becomes a contradiction.. I react physically to the collective ignorance and general stupidity of those arouund me at times like these..
Medication is the answer..
Not a cure, but a great way to cope with the roller coaster of the bipolar mind.
For the first person that answered.. here's a helpful hint.. you are a victim of the stigmas of mental illness.. move the decimal point to the left a couple spaces.. I would believe around 1 percent are dangerous enough to murder someone..
sociopaths on the other hand are typically the serial killers of the world.. but anyone (even normal people) can be stressed enough to do idiotic things.. people have been killed over the price of a candy bar. There's some food for thought. :) pun intended

Answer 4

Bipolar is a disease of the brain--perhaps the most mysterious organ of the human body. Since the brain is so mysterious, bipolars, just like anyone else, can be very mysterious. Try to see yourself (if that's who you're talking about) or your friend in their whole being. It's hard to discern reality when a bipolar is in an extended mood (not "level")--for both themselves and those around them. Yes, bipolar may be dangerous--but then so can anybody be if you think about it. Take care and show love, to yourself, to the other. Be fair.

Answer 5

That statistic, that 99.7% of all murders are done by people with bipolar disorder, is pure horse poop. Bipolar Disorder is only dangerous in so much as when depressed (one pole) the patient is at risk for suicidal thoughts and when manic (the other pole) the patient is at risk of poor impulse control and poor decision making as they feel high (think 12 cups of coffee or speed) and may do things they don't normally do, like stay up for days and spend money on crazy things, talk real fast etc.

Answer 6

I guess it depends on the severity and the discipline of their person who has it. If you have a good base of what's right and wrong and try to live your life like that. You might have an easier time with bi-polar. But, if you have no basic foundation and do not have a good enviroment. You may have a more dangerous risk of bi-polar taking you over severely. I think if you are aware of it and want to save face in public, you can control it easier. It just depends on the enviroment and severity.

Answer 7

Bipolar Disorder has a high risk of suicide. People in severe manic episodes can sometimes become violent or exhibit very poor judgment which could put them in dangerous situations.

Answer 8

My ex had Bi-Polar and yes he had occassional mood swings, he would want to be alone then want to have other's around. He would lose his concentration easily and forget thing's. He was never dangerous around my kids and I though when he got upset he'd go outside and scream come back in and hug me. He was depressed alot, when happy he became ecstatic, sad he became suicidal. He took his own life last month at the young age of 27 and yes he was on prescription he took it faithfully but this last time he got in a slump as he referred to it it became too much.

Answer 9

Anybody can be dangerous, you have to determine if this person is dealing with there illness or not, do they drink obsessively? Are they really angry or threatening when in a "mood swing" determine by these things, trust your gut.

Answer 10

yes it can be dangerous if not treated. mood swings are just one factor of bipolar.theres mania where ur mind just races,, u can be suicidal,anxiety, increase in sex or decrease...its a lot of things.the best thing for u to do is influence hime to go talk to someone...medication and therapy is the best way to deal with this....trust me...i was just diagnosed with this disease 3 weeks ago when i had a nervous breakdown...almost lost my children....