Our culture encourages many unhealthy and potentially addicting habits, including the use of caffeine, alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs such as marijuana. Unfortunately, these substances may be especially unhealthy for persons with bipolar disorder because they can increase bipolar symptoms and even trigger bipolar episodes. It is very encouraging to see bipolar sufferers' treatment success improve after they are able to give up these unhealthy habits. Fortunately, many people with bipolar disorder lose interest in their unhealthy habits when their mood stabilizers are well adjusted.
I drink lost of coffee. Is coffee bad for you if you have bipolar disorder?
Many of my patients have noticed a distinct improvement in their stability when they stopped drinking coffee. High-dose caffeine has been reported to trigger manic and psychotic symptoms. Some people with bipolar disorder enjoy the "jazzed up" feeling that caffeine gives them, but this is not necessarily a good thing. The goal for anyone struggling with bipolar disorder should be peace, contentment, and fulfillment, and these do not require caffeine.
Caffeine is addicting, and it provokes a withdrawal syndrome when stopped. Coffee is the most serious offender involved in caffeine addiction. Iced teas can contain enough stimulant alkaloids to affect your health if you drink enough, and the caffeine content in colas can also create a problem. The tablets that are sold over-the-counter to help you stay awake contain large amounts of caffeine.
If you are addicted to caffeine and stop taking it suddenly, you may experience withdrawal. Withdrawal symptoms like fatigue and flu-like sensation may last for two days or more. However, many patients feel so much more stable after they've stopped drinking coffee that they never return to drinking it. A few days of possible discomfort are a small price to pay for a lifetime of improved health.
Is drinking alcohol bad for bipolar disorder?
Individuals with bipolar disorder often react to alcohol as if it were a stimulant, making them more mentally active, happy, charming, and sociable when they drink. Ultimately, it resembles the stimulating effects of mania. This positive experience makes drinking alcohol more pleasant, but it can also cause substance abuse problems for those with the disorder. Eighty percent of all people with bipolar disorder will suffer from an alcohol and/or drug problem during their lifetime. Alcohol in large doses is toxic to the brain and body, and ingestion of sufficient alcohol can trigger mania, depression, or even psychosis.
Nearly all medications used for bipolar disorder carry a warning against drinking alcohol. But skipping your medication when you know you will be consuming alcohol is not a good option, either. In my opinion, those with bipolar disorder should not consume more than one drink per month. Many people find that it is easier to control their drinking by stopping altogether. It is often difficult for those with bipolar disorder to give up alcohol, but consumption can be an impediment to successful bipolar treatment. I have worked with several people whose unwillingness to stop one or two daily drinks made their disease virtually untreatable. Fortunately, many people lose the desire to drink once their medication doses are well balanced.
I'm worried that if I stop drinking, I'll lose all my friends. What can I do?
It is possible to drink nonalcoholic beverages when you go out, and your friends may support your decision. However, people who try to stop drinking often find that their drinking buddies care more about getting drunk themselves than they care about people and their health. If you socialize with people who will abandon you if you stop drinking, then you need to get better friends.
I go to Alcoholics Anonymous. Does this program work in bipolar disorder?
Yes. Many of my bipolar patients have reversed their drinking problems by participating in A.A. There are usually meetings in most hospitals and elsewhere in the community. Odds are that you will not be the only person with bipolar disorder there.
I smoke marijuana every day, and it's better than any medication. Can this help my bipolar disorder?
I have heard this many times before. Marijuana apparently makes bipolar symptoms more tolerable, but it destabilizes the illness in the long run. Marijuana may contribute to depression, lung disease, and loss of memory, as well as deplete sex hormones. Moreover, using it is illegal. These reasons are enough to convince me that marijuana is not worth the risk if you have bipolar disorder.
Even in small doses, marijuana can undermine bipolar treatment. Many people with bipolar disorder are affected by one or two puffs of a joint.
What problems do cigarettes cause among people with bipolar illness?
There are instances in the literature where too much tobacco smoking has triggered bouts of mania an psychosis in persons with bipolar disorder. In addition, smoking can significantly decrease the amount of medication that reaches the bloodstream, interfering with effective treatment. Cigarettes are the proven offenders in these cases, but I suspect that the risks are similar whether you smoke cigars or pipes or chew tobacco. No one can say for sure how much tobacco someone with bipolar disorder can tolerate safely. However, we do know that tobacco shortens life and causes heart disease, lung disease, and cancer. Why should you take any chances with your health? If you do smoke, check with your doctor to see how your medications are affected by smoking and try to give up the habit.
I have tried to quit before, and it is so difficult. How can I quit for good?
If you cannot stop, then you may be rushing yourself. Many people sabotage themselves by trying to do everything at once, before they lose their nerve. However, learning not to smoke is a gradual process. You need to develop daily skills to ensure you can go without smoking for the rest of your life. Fortunately, many of my patients have stopped smoking on their own after their medications were in order. To those who are ready to get serious about kicking the habit, I have developed an effective method for giving up cigarettes.
How To Stop Smoking Painlessly
If you have tried to stop smoking cold turkey and failed, or it you just do not want to endure the bodily stress and physical discomfort usually associated with smoking cessation, follow the steps below. Most likely, you will be able to reduce or stop your smoking habit without gaining weight or suffering severe cigarette craving.
- Set a goal of quitting entirely or decide how many cigarettes you want to end up smoking
- Find an empty pack or buy a cigarette box to hold all the cigarettes you will smoke each day
- Count how many cigarettes you currently smoke per day and subtract one from that number
- For the first week, put that number of cigarettes in your pack every day
- Just smoke the cigarettes you put in your pack each day; no more no less
- The next week, subtract one from the daily number of cigarettes you smoked last week and put that amount of cigarettes in your pack each day
- Again, just smoke the cigarettes you put in your pack each day, no more, no less, for a week
- Continue smoking one less cigaretter each week until you reach your goal
For example, if you are now smoking twenty cigarettes daily, reduce to nineteen the first week, eighteen the second week, seventeen the third week, and so on. You will have broken your habit and be smoke-free in five months and your body will thank you.