Do people with bipolar have episodes where they are physical?

Question

I know someone who has bipolar and they try to use it as an exscuse to be abusive. I think it is more along the lines that he is psychotic and it is not his bipolar.

Answer 1

yes they do.

Bipolar disorder (manic-depression) is a mood disorder that impacts approximately 1% of the population, compared to a lifetime prevalence of 6% for unipolar depression, and is equally prevalent among men and women. Commonly first diagnosed between the ages of 18 - 24 years, this disorder can have serious and significant effects on families, social relationships, and work life or academic progress. The recent Mental Health Report of the US Surgeon General lists bipolar disorder (along with unipolar depression, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder) as one of the top 10 leading causes of disability in the United States.

Bipolar disorder is characterized by extreme variations in mood, from mania and/or irritability to depression. Alterations in mood (commonly referred to as "mood swings") between mania and depression can be frightening and disturbing for persons who have this disorder as well as family members and those people who know and work with them. Manic episodes can be especially distressing because they are often associated with high-risk behaviors like substance abuse, sexual promiscuity, immoderate spending, violent behavior, and disregard for danger. The capacity for empathy is also typically reduced or absent, leaving family members and others without the usual interpersonal protections and understandings that empathy (knowing how our words and actions affect others) provides.

Bipolar II disorder is characterized by recurring episodes of depression and hypomania. Hypomania differs from full mania in the following ways - although expansive and elevated mood states are present, gross lapses of judgment or impulsive behavior tend not to occur. Hypomania does not impair functioning as significantly as mania, and may even be felt as enhancing functioning by the person with the disorder.

Bipolar disorders can be successfully treated. Medications are available to "prevent" recurrent episodes of depression or mania. These "mood stabilizing" medications include lithium and anticonvulsant medications such as valproic acid.

Criteria for Major Depressive Episode and Manic Episode

Major depressive episode
Five or more of the following symptoms have been present during the same 2-week period and represent a change from previous functioning; at least one of the symptoms is either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure.

Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, as indicated by either subjective report (e.g., feels sad or empty) or observation made by others (e.g., appears tearful). Note: In children and adolescents, can be irritable mood.
Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day (as indicated by either subjective account or observation made by others)
Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain (e.g., a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month), or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day. Note: In children, consider failure to make expected weight gains.
Insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day
Psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day (observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down)
Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day
Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt (which may be delusional) nearly every day (not merely self-reproach or guilt about being sick)
Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indeciseveness, nearly every day (either by subjective account or as observed by others)
Recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide
Manic episode

A. A distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive , or irritable mood, lasting at least 1 week (or any duration if hospitalization is necessary)

B. During the period of mood disturbance, three (or more) of the following symptoms have persisted (four if the mood is only irritable) and have been present to a significant degree:

Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
Decreased need for sleep (e.g., feels rested after only 3 hours of sleep)
More talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking
Flight of ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing
Distractibility (i.e., attention too easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant external stimuli)
Increase in goal-directed activity (either socially, at work or school, or sexually) or psychomotor agitation
Excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences (e.g., engaging in unrestrained buying sprees, sexual indiscretions, or foolish business investments)

Answer 2

Most people do not realize that aggressiveness, irritability, anger, hostililty are all signs of the manic phase of bipolar disorder. Sometimes the person does get out of control and can become physical. It may be partly that they're using that moment to be abusive, but generally the mood is so overwhelming and so pervasive, that they're not really cognizant of what they're doing. The best thing, if you feel you are in physical danger, is to call his doctor right away or 911 and have them take the person to the hospital for everyone's protection. Be sure to tell the dispatcher and the police when they arrive that the person is bipolar, is or is not taking his meds, and if he has anything that could hurt someone.

Answer 3

Bipolar individuals can be very irritable and can even be physically aggressive...but this means that their meds are not working as they should, or that they have quit taking them! There is no excuse for abuse. Leave and tell them you won't return until things turn around!

Answer 4

As, a bipolar disorderd person I may be prone to get agitated.

But physical violence is more of anti-social/ general character defect disntict from the illness.