Can being bipolar make you unaware of your actions?

Question

If someone is bipolar is it possible that they are not aware of what they are doing or did, say for example if they committed a crime?

Answer 1

Okay, here is the voice of first-hand experience on this. I am bipolar. Before being diagnosed, I was in a very serious manic phase and committed a serious crime for which I am awaiting trial. Here's the skinny. Yes, I was aware of what I was doing and that it was wrong. However, in this situation, I was also delusional, because I was just so sure I would not get caught. Further, I also found it extremely easy to justify my actions. In manic phases, our judgment is severely affected. We also have feelings of superiority and grandiosity. I do agree that people probably use bipolar disorder as an excuse for bad behaviors, and it is really not an excuse. We are all responsible for our own actions, and bipolar disorder is not such that we could be considered mentally insane at the time a crime is committed. Still, I do feel that it should be considered in the overall picture. To exhonerate or reduce punishment? No. As a means of helping a person find a road to self-improvement? Absolutely. And it would hopefully help others to be better able to forgive the perpetrator, and for the perpetrator to eventually find the heart to forgive themselves.

Answer 2

I think a bipolar person would always remember something as serious as a crime. I have bipolar disorder and forget a lot of details though, like a serious argument with my spouse. I may or may not remember the argument. If I do remember, often there are HUGE details that are forgotten. I was given Ativan for years and that made my behavior worse, and also caused even more serious amnesia. Also, I was sexually abused for years, and that causes even more memory problems.

Also, when a bipolar person has extreme behavior due to the disorder, it makes sense to them at the time. Such as, I can get paranoid, and I really do think people are out to cut me down, and so I may be verbally abusive to my husband because he is doing that (no, he's not, but I THINK he is). My behavior makes total sense given what my beliefs are. It's those beliefs that get really warped. I get mixed moods a lot, extreme depression and mania at the same time.

I think if someone is using bipolar as an excuse, and it's not a valid excuse, you would see that they had an underlying personality disorder, or that they never take responsibility for anything. If a person with bipolar says they don't remember or didn't mean to do something, and they are obviously extremely upset about it, and when they are well they are well-adjusted, I would take their word for it. Also, it depends how serious the bipolar disorder is. I have it pretty bad, and the meds don't help me very much. My husband can pretty well count on some screeching fits out of me when I have PMS because it really sets off the bipolar. Mostly I do pretty well because I know I have bipolar, and I keep a lid on it as best I can, and it helps that I'm very intelligent, but I'm SURE there are people with less stable lives and less ability to control it.

Also, it peeves me that people assume the meds work great for everyone. That may be the party line from the drug companies, and websites that are trying not to kill hope, but there are a LOT of people who get little or no relief from the meds, even after years of trying.

Hope that gave some insight.

Answer 3

Mania by definition is delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thinking. That is the clinical definition. Anything less, is hypomania. So yes, a person who is deluded and/or hallucinating would not be aware of their actions. There is no mystery in this, just a lot of public misconception about what bipolar really can be.

If not delusional and/or hallucinating, bipolars retain some level of awareness even when way tooo spun up. More specifically, they know right from wrong, which is all that counts in court.

~bipolar

Answer 4

I just read all the answers left for you and am wondering if any of these people have a clue about bipolar. How many of you have been in hospital for full blown manic episodes how many of you have seen someone that's having a full blown manic episodes well I read about half of the answers and all of them are wrong. I am bipolar and have seen people that are having full blown manic episodes and let me tell you when someone thinks they are the president of the USA I would have to say they are not aware of there actions. When they think they can live for ever or that they are millionaires how the hell can anyone be aware when they can't think in the right frame of mind. and let me also say that I have done things in the past and have 0 memory's about it as I was far to manic to remember. take care good luck

Answer 5

yes - that is what identifies someone as manic - a person who is manic is unaware of their actions. lets say you have 2 people very irritable - irate. the normal healthy person is aware of their irritability and the bipolar person is totally unaware. They do things and have no idea what they've done.

Answer 6

Lisa is bang on. Those who have responded have not got a clue. You have to have it to the degree that some have it or have seen it to that degree to understand. People read that it's just about being happy and sad. And the happy part is fabulous and lucky us, try again. Try living with it. It's not so much fun as some make it out to be and peoples live are ruined by it's effects on lots of different levels! In fact it is a recognized fact that people who have bi polar are often in trouble with the police. Maybe those that say they knew what they were doing were wrongly diagnoses and are suffering from something else and not bi polar!

Answer 7

I am bi-polar. No, if anything I would be hyper-aware and fixated. At least toward crime. At the same time(oh, lord, here is the bi-polar part), family members have related arguments we have had that I have no memory of. I would like to think I am hyper-sensitive to wrong-doings, but...........

YES.........(please don't kill a family based on this) I have been guilty of not remembering what I said or did.

Answer 8

Yes and no. Bi-polars are aware of there actions but not there patterns of behavior. For example a bipolar may not realize they are in a depressive cycle but do realize they did not get out of bed this morning. Bi-polars who have manic behaviors or cycles know what they are doing is wrong but have difficulty controlling impulsive behavior. Many bi-polars are misdiagnosed because it is difficult to establish the patterns of behavior.

Answer 9

Many bipolar do not take their meds. This causes many problems. One boy I worked with whose mother was bipolar, was made to stay one the landing of their steps for a day or two. Sad as it is, they can do things and get away with it. Not one person should get away with child abuse, but she did, she would just feed him bread and water a couple of days at a time. He would be taken away and returned a few weeks later. At first he was too young to be taken from his mother and then he was too old to be taken away. Heart ache and break.

Answer 10

There is a lot of controversy over this. When the brain functions irregularly, you may do things out of fits of rage or sadness because you have intense emotional feelings toward something or someone because of this disorder. I do believe, however, that you are aware of your actions but that you may be more suseptable to doing bad things because you cannot control your emotions. This is where medication and therapy come in.