Violent Behavior With Bipolar Disorder

The majority of individuals suffering from bipolar disorder will never perpetrate acts of violence. Despite this, there is a positive correlation between bipolar disorder and violence, but that does not mean that the disorder itself is the causal factor in all violent activities perpetrated by people suffering from the illness.

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Identification

• Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterized by regular shifts in mood from mania (elevated mood) to depression. The rate and severity of these mood cycles differs from person to person. The disorder often goes undiagnosed for years. The diagnosis is separated into bipolar I, bipolar II and cyclothemia. Bipolar I is characterized by severe mood swings, bipolar II by the lack of any full-blown manic episodes and cyclothemia by smaller shifts in mood over time. An individual with bipolar disorder can shift among the three categories throughout her lifetime.

Effects

According to an ABC News interview with Dr. Igor Galnyker of Beth Israel Medical Center, bipolar disorder is correlated with an increased propensity for aggression. When a bipolar individual is experiencing a manic episode, he is more likely to become aggressive or violent towards others, particularly if he is also under the influence of drugs or alcohol and is not taking medications prescribed to treat the disorder. While he is in a depressive state, his risk of suicide rises.

Prevention

• The best way to treat bipolar disorder is a combination of medication and regular talk therapy. Mood stabilizers are the most commonly prescribed type of medication for bipolar disorder, but in many cases antipsychotics, antidepressants and other medications to treat side effects are prescribed as well. It takes weeks after beginning treatment for the body to adjust to the drugs and for them to become effective. Hospitalization may or may not be necessary, depending on the severity of the mood changes, but if the patient becomes violent, it is possible that she will be involuntarily committed under relevant state laws as she will have demonstrated that she is a clear danger to herself and others.

  Considerations

  Individuals with bipolar disorder and a propensity towards violence are significantly more difficult to treat effectively. Many psychiatric hospitals will not admit violent patients, potentially limiting options for treatment. While treatment can put a damper on aggression, it cannot completely prevent violence, as bipolar disorder is not a direct cause of violent behavior. Despite this, mood stabilizers in particular can help to maintain a regular pattern of behavior.
  

  Potential

  • Regular talk therapy and medication may not be enough to prevent a recurrence of violent behavior in a person with bipolar disorder. Targeted therapies such as anger management and other similar treatments have a higher chance of success. Full compliance with treatment over an extended period of time is the best way to manage the symptoms of bipolar disorder.

  
  
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