Bipolar Disorder and Addiction | Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Los Angeles

What Is Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder, also called manic depression, isn’t just feeling moody or having good days and bad days. It’s marked by extremes of sky-high energy and bottomless despair, often with little warning for when the weather shifts.[1] Bipolar disorder can impact your job, relationships, and daily functioning.

There are three types of bipolar disorder with unique symptoms:[2]

Bipolar Disorder I

Bipolar I disorder is the most intense form, usually marked by full-blown manic episodes that can warrant hospitalization. The mania can feel invincible, powerful, unstoppable, and then the crash comes.

During manic episodes, you may feel inflated or grandiose, running on little to no sleep without experiencing a significant loss of energy. Your thoughts are racing, causing you to talk nonstop and make impulsive decisions. People in the manic phase often make risky decisions, such as reckless spending, indiscriminate sexual encounters, and substance use.

When the depressive episode hits, all those highs turn to deep lows with constant sadness, emptiness, or irritability. You may experience weight changes, extreme sleep habits such as insomnia or excessive sleep, and a loss of interest in recreational activities. Depressive episodes are physically and emotionally exhausting, sometimes with suicidal thoughts or actions.

Bipolar II

Bipolar II disorder differs from bipolar I disorder in that there are no full manic episodes, just hypomania – a toned-down version of mania, and severe depression. But just because there aren’t the highest of highs doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous. The relatively subtle symptoms of bipolar II compared to bipolar I can lead to a higher likelihood of it going undiagnosed.

Cyclothymic Disorder

Cyclothymic disorder has milder symptoms than other types of bipolar disorder and longer phases, with up and down swings that last over two years or longer. People with cyclothymic disorder never fully meet the criteria for mania or major depression, but they still experience disruption and exhaustion from the mood cycles.

Addiction and Interaction with Bipolar Disorder

When you’re manic, substances like alcohol, stimulants, and opioids can fuel the fire. During depression, you may rely on substances just to feel something. It becomes a survival tactic at first, but it can quickly develop into a full-blown addiction.

About 61% of people with bipolar I have had substance use disorder at some point, 46% had a lifetime history of alcohol use disorder, and 41% had a lifetime history of drug abuse or dependence.[3] About 48% of people with bipolar II disorder had a lifetime history of any drug or alcohol use disorder, 39% had a lifetime history of alcohol use disorder, and 21% had a lifetime history of drug abuse or dependence.[4] Only antisocial personality disorder had a higher lifetime prevalence of substance use disorder.

Why do these conditions co-occur at such high rates? It’s a perfect storm of risk factors. Both mental illness and addiction run in families, so having a relative with these conditions increases the likelihood that you’ll develop one or both.[5]

Bipolar also affects multiple structures in the brain and how the brain functions, just like chronic substance use.[6] Though we still don’t know if the changes are because of bipolar disorder or the cause of it, there’s plenty of evidence that it can rewire your thinking and influence neurotransmitters.

Substances can be a common source of self-medication.[7] They can feel like a lifeline in both manic and depressive episodes, boosting the highs, softening the lows, and quieting the brain. But it’s not really medicating – it’s providing a short-term escape that can be damaging.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment for Co-Occurring Bipolar Disorder and Addiction in Los Angeles

Bipolar and addiction are two serious conditions, and they require serious, evidence-based therapies. Our dual diagnosis treatment dives deep, disrupts old patterns, and helps you get a foothold to overcome your challenges.

• Individual therapy: Individual sessions can help you unpack the stuff weighing you down, stabilize your mood, and build a skill set to stay balanced and substance-free.
• Group therapy: With so many people struggling with bipolar and addiction, you have friends in your journey. Group therapy for bipolar disorder and addiction connects you to people who get it because they live it too.
• Family therapy: Bipolar and addiction leave damage in their wake. Family therapy helps clear the air, reset the dynamic, and rebuild trust without blame or guilt.
• Recovery-oriented treatment: It’s not just about controlling symptoms, but rebuilding your life with purpose, structure, and clarity.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT for bipolar and addiction helps you identify impulsive decisions, extreme thinking, and self-destructive habits to get your mind working for you, not against you.
• Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT): DBT for bipolar and addiction acts as emotional armor, teaching you how to survive the mood swings, overcome self-harming or self-destructive behaviors, and handle distress without intense responses.
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): ACT helps you stop fighting your diagnosis and the hand you were dealt, reaching a level of acceptance to live around it, set goals, and achieve them.
• Somatic experiencing therapy: Trauma exists in the body and mind. Somatic therapy helps release the pressure to calm your nerves and reduce the intensity of bipolar mood shifts.
• Adventure therapy: Adventure therapy takes you out of your head and into the outdoors, where you can climb, hike, and walk among nature, building resilience in your life.
• Trauma-informed care: We understand how trauma can contribute to mental health conditions. We never assume, retraumatize, or dismiss your story. Every treatment plan respects what you’ve been through to help you reach healing safely and comfortably.
• Experiential therapy: This type of therapy utilizes art, music, role-playing, and movement to express what words can’t and process what is stuck inside.
• Mindfulness-based therapy: When your mind is racing, mindfulness can bring you back to sit with discomfort, observe without reaction, and stay grounded through the storm.
• Motivational interviewing (MI): If you’re not feeling committed to recovery, motivational interviewing (MI) can help. We’ll explore your hesitation, find your internal motivation, and help you move forward on your terms.