People Can Experience Psychosis During Severe Bipolar Mood Episodes Of Mania Or Depression
Manic episodes involve having an abnormally elevated mood and activity levels for at least seven days, according to the National Institute of Mental Health . Depressive episodes are on the other end of the spectrum, meaning someone is grappling with a debilitatingly low mood and energy levels for at least two weeks. Heres more about bipolar disorder symptoms.
We say that in bipolar disorder, the person can have psychotic symptoms during the peaks of mania or the depths of depression, Descartes Li, M.D., clinical professor in the department of psychiatry and director of the Bipolar Disorder Program at the University of California, San Francisco, tells SELF. Signs of psychosis can also occur during severe mixed-mood episodes, where the person experiences symptoms of both mania and depression.
Can You Have Visual Hallucinations Without Psychosis
Visual hallucinations are the only things that occur, because no other senses are involved. Patients with CBS do not a mental illness or cognition problems and are very aware that they are seeing images that are not there. The visual hallucinations that CBS patients experience differ from psychotic hallucinations.
What is the difference between a delusion and a hallucination?
Both are caused by certain mental illnesses but can also be triggered by medical conditions, injuries, or by no known cause at all. A hallucination involves the senses and feels real but is not. A delusion is a false belief that persists in spite of evidence.
How Is Bipolar With Psychotic Features Diagnosed
When youre seeking help for a mental health problem, a proper diagnosis is essential in finding the right treatment for your needs. However, mental health issues can be very difficult to diagnose when compared to many physical health issues. Thats because mental health has to do with the brain and how it functions.
The brain is much more complicated than other parts of your body, like your heart or liver. In many cases, mental health disorders have overlapping symptoms, or you can have more than one mental illness at the same time. In some cases, distressing symptoms of one issue can lead to mood problems like depression.
Bipolar disorder shares a lot of symptoms with other mood disorders like various kinds of depression. If you have psychotic symptoms, your problem might share symptoms with other psychotic disorders. However, bipolar disorder has some distinct features that set it apart from other mental health problems.
According to the DSM-5, you need to have experienced at least one manic episode to be categorized as Bipolar I. A manic episode is identified using seven common symptoms that are abbreviated to DIGFAST. These symptoms including:
- Distractibility
Also Check: What Are Some Symptoms Of An Eating Disorder
When Should I See My Healthcare Provider About Hallucinations
If you or someone you know is experiencing hallucinations and is detached from reality, you or they should get checked by a healthcare provider as soon as possible.
Many medical and mental health conditions that can cause hallucinations may quickly become emergencies. The person experiencing hallucinations shouldnt be left alone.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Its important for people experiencing hallucinations to talk about them with their family and healthcare team. Hallucinations are manageable with treatment and can become disturbing or dangerous if theyre not treated. Discuss all possible symptoms with your healthcare provider, no matter how minor or bizarre you may think they are. Hallucinations can make you feel nervous, paranoid and frightened, so its important to be with and talk with someone you can trust.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 06/26/2022.
References
Dont Miss: How To Deal With A Husband With Ptsd
Hallucinations In Bipolar Disorder
Not everyone living with bipolar disorder experiences hallucinations or other symptoms of psychosis.
But the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, revised text , a handout that most U.S. mental health professionals use to diagnose, establishes that, in some cases, the condition may present with psychotic features.
Psychosis is a formal symptom of schizophrenia, but could also show up in other conditions.
In this case, though, bipolar disorder with hallucinations is still bipolar disorder. These hallucinations are more likely to occur during intense mood episodes.
Don’t Miss: When Do Bipolar Symptoms Start
What Causes Bipolar Disorder
Doctors don’t know for sure, but they think a mix of things can make you more likely to get it.
Brain structure and chemistry. People with the illness may have changes in the brain itself, as well as in the way chemicals called neurotransmitters work. These chemicals send information between nerve cells.
Genes. You’re more likely to have it if someone in your family does, so your genes probably have something to do with it.
Stress. Emotional events, like the death of a loved one, can trigger bipolar disorder for the first time, so how you handle stress may play a role, too.
Effects Of Not Using Medication For Bipolar Disorder
Because a manic phase makes a person feel good, they may not want to change, and they may not see any need to seek help. As a result, they often do not seek help, and they remain without a diagnosis.
People who have received a diagnosis in the pastoften during a low periodmay stop taking their medications. If this leads to a manic episode, they may not want to seek help.
Also Check: Why Do Some People Have Anxiety
Psychosis In Bipolar Disorder And In Schizophrenia
Bipolar disorder shares some symptoms with schizophrenia, which is another brain disorder. Psychosis can occur in both conditions.
Both conditions can disrupt a persons life enough to interfere with daily activities and their ability to maintain close relationships or hold down a job.
Bipolar psychosis generally lasts for brief periods of time. A person who is experiencing an episode of bipolar psychosis is likely to return to a lucid state with treatment.
Meditation Works As Well As Lexapro For Treating Anxiety: Study
A woman has revealed the terrifying psychosis she said she developed that convinced her she was responsible for COVID-19.
Natasha Rea, 33, said she was misdiagnosed with a mood disorder at age 14, before being diagnosed with bipolar disorder about 10 years later, in 2013.
Rea, from England, reported feelings of intense emotions, deep periods of depression, anxiety and unpredictable manic episodes with the latter causing her to hyperfixate on certain things. She said she also suffered physical problems.
There are days I cant move my legs, and my anxiety affects my bowels, she explained to SWNS, adding sometimes her symptoms were so bad she couldnt move or get out of bed.
The mom of one said her mania intensified during lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic, and she experienced her first episode of psychosis in March 2020.
I thought Id caused COVID and was responsible for the pandemic, she recalled.
I had been consumed and worried about the virus and the fact I couldnt go out to get my moms shopping list.
Rea said she kept hearing a voice saying, You think you have time, and she spent eight hours in a deserted hospital pacing the corridors.
I wondered why they were playing the Greatest Showman on repeat and why Graham on reception was cleaning his hands with pink Carex cleanser, she said. I still dont know if Graham was real or if they were playing the Greatest Showman.
I encourage to have open and honest conversations with me.
Recommended Reading: What Is The Best Medicine For Anxiety And Panic Attacks
What Are The Symptoms Of Mania
Symptoms of a manic episode
- Having an abnormally high level of activity or energy.
- Feeling extremely happy or excited even euphoric.
- Not sleeping or only getting a few hours of sleep but still feeling rested.
- Having an inflated self-esteem, thinking youre invincible.
- Being more talkative than usual. Talking so much and so fast that others cant interrupt.
- Having racing thoughts having lots of thoughts on lots of topics at the same time .
- Being easily distracted by unimportant or unrelated things.
- Being obsessed with and completely absorbed in an activity.
- Displaying purposeless movements, such as pacing around your home or office or fidgeting when youre sitting.
- Showing impulsive behavior that can lead to poor choices, such as buying sprees, reckless sex or foolish business investments.
Psychotic symptoms of a manic episode
- Delusions. Delusions are false beliefs or ideas that are incorrect interpretations of information. An example is a person thinking that everyone they see is following them.
- Hallucinations. Having a hallucination means you see, hear, taste, smell or feel things that arent really there. An example is a person hearing the voice of someone and talking to them when theyre not really there.
Can Hallucinations Be Prevented
While not all hallucinations can be prevented, there are some strategies you can use at home that might help reduce the frequency of them for certain people with neurological conditions that may cause hallucinations, including:
- Having good lighting and participating in stimulating activities in the evening.
- Checking for sounds that might be misinterpreted, like noise from a television or an appliance.
- Looking for and correcting lighting that casts shadows, reflections or distortions.
- Covering mirrors with a cloth or removing them if the person thinks theyre looking at a stranger.
If youre taking medication to help treat hallucinations, its important to continue taking the medication unless your healthcare provider tells you otherwise. Stopping the medication suddenly can cause more intense hallucinations.
Dont Miss: Is Depression All In Your Head
Read Also: Can Anxiety Cause Stomach Issues
What Are The Different Types Of Bipolar Disorder
There are different types of bipolar disorder.
What is bipolar disorder I disorder?
A diagnosis of bipolar I disorder means you will have had at least 1 episode of mania that lasts longer than 1 week. You may also have periods of depression. Manic episodes will generally last 3-6 months if left untreated. Depressive episodes will generally last 6-12 months without treatment.
What is bipolar II disorder?
A diagnosis of bipolar II disorder means it is common to have symptoms of depression. You will have had at least 1 period of major depression. And at least 1 period of hypomania instead of mania.
What is bipolar I or II disorder with mixed features?
You will experience symptoms of mania or hypomania and depression at the same time. You may hear this being called mixed bipolar state. You may feel very sad and hopeless at the same time as feeling restlessness and being overactive.
What is bipolar I or II disorder with rapid cycling?
Rapid cycling means you have had 4 or more depressive, manic or hypomanic episodes in a 12-month period.
What is bipolar I or II with seasonal pattern?
Seasonal pattern means that either your depression, mania or hypomania is regularly affected in the same way by the seasons. For example, you may find that each winter you have a depressive episode, but your mania doesnt regularly follow a pattern.
There can be some similarities between bipolar I or II with seasonal pattern and another conditional called seasonal affective disorder.
What Are The Triggers Of Manic Episodes
Manic episode triggers are unique to each person. Youll have to become a bit of a detective and monitor your mood and start to track how you feel before an episode and when it occurs. Ask family and close friends who you trust and have close contact with to help identify your triggers. As outside observers, they may notice changes from your usual behavior more easily than you do.
Knowing your triggers can help you prepare for an episode, lessen the effect of an episode or prevent it from happening at all.
Common triggers to be aware of include:
- A highly stimulating situation or environment .
- A major life change .
- Substance use, such as recreational drugs or alcohol.
Read Also: Can Going Off Birth Control Cause Depression And Anxiety
Schizophrenia Vs Bipolar Disorder
Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder can both present with hallucinations and other features of psychosis.
The difference, according to the DSM-5-RT, is that in bipolar disorder, symptoms of psychosis are only present during episodes of major depression or mania.
Untreated schizophrenia, as a psychotic disorder, persistently features symptoms of psychosis at any time.
In Bipolar Disorder Delusions And Hallucinations Are Often Mood
When someones delusions and hallucinations match their mood, their psychotic episodes are called mood-congruent, Dr. Li says.
For example, someone experiencing psychosis during a manic episode may have grandiose delusions about how rich and powerful they are or display levels of confidence that are detached from reality, Dr. Li says.
On the other hand, someone experiencing psychosis during a depressive episode may believe theyve caused the breakout of a terrible illness or are a delinquent criminal and feel horrible about themselves in ways that are are not based in fact.
Recommended Reading: Where To Get Help For Ptsd
Symptoms Of Bipolar 1 Disorder
In bipolar 1 disorder, a person will experience mania or hypomania.
Mania/Hypomania
Three or more of the following symptoms need to be present for a diagnosis of mania.
- Inflated self-esteem and grandiosity the patient feels they are unusually important or talented
- The patient may have a decreased need for sleep and state that they feel rested and energetic even when they have only slept for three hours.
- They are more talkative than usual and may speak in a hurried fashion. This will make their speech sound confused.
- Flight of ideas
- Easily distracted by irrelevant external stimuli.
- During manic episodes, the patient might also be engaged in activities that have high stakes or painful consequences. For instance, they might engage in indiscriminate sexual activity, make risky business investments, or go on uncontrolled buying sprees.
Mania and hypomania share the same symptoms.
The difference is in the length of time an individual experiences the symptoms.
Three or more of the above symptoms need to be present for at least 7 days for it to be diagnosed as mania.
If the symptoms last for 4 consecutive days, it is considered hypomania.
In both mania and hypomania, the symptoms are not related to or better explained by schizoaffective disorder or do not overlap with other mood disorders, such as schizophrenia, delusional disorder, or another medical condition.
How Are Hallucinations Linked To Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder is a mental health disorder characterized by high and low mood states of mania, hypomania, and depression. People with bipolar type I sometimes experience more severe symptoms like psychosis and hallucinations. If you are experiencing hallucinations as a result of bipolar disorder, it is crucial to seek treatment.
Read Also: What Are The Three Common Eating Disorders
What Does Psychosis Do To A Person
Gomez remembers very little about her episode, other than finding herself in a mental health treatment facility, she said in the documentary.
If anybody saw what I saw in the state that was in at the mental hospital, they wouldnt have recognized her at all, said Gomezs friend Raquelle, in the documentary. And I was devastated because psychosis can last from days to weeks to months to years to life.
Psychosis symptoms can vary significantly from person to person, says Holly Swartz, MD , a professor of psychiatry and the medical director of the Depression and Manic Depression Program at the University of Pittsburgh.
Like in Gomezs case, psychosis can cause someone to have hallucinations meaning they hear or see things that arent there, according to the National Institute of Mental Health . I just remember it being very chaotic, and was hearing all of these voices, said Gomezs friend Raquelle, in the documentary. They just kept getting louder and louder and louder.
A person with psychosis may also experience delusions, or false beliefs, NIMH experts say. For instance, says Dr. Swartz, they may believe without evidence that someone is out to harm them, leading them to feel very fearful for reasons that aren’t grounded in reality.
Other possible signs of psychosis, NIMH experts say, are:
Delusions Occurring In Bipolar Disorder
Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital.
A delusion is a false belief that a person firmly holds to be true, regardless of whether it actually is true or even possible. Someone who’s delusional will hang on tight to such a belief even if other people are able to logically explain why it’s false.
There is a recognized mental illness called delusional disorder in which delusions are the dominant symptom. In a type of bipolar disorder that includes psychosis, however, delusions are a psychotic symptom of the mood disorder. They often appear along with hallucinationssensory perceptions aren’t actually there.
In order to understand delusions as a symptom of bipolar disorder, it is helpful to also become familiar with psychosis.
Don’t Miss: What Is The New Treatment For Ptsd
Psychosis In Bipolar Disorder
In the simplest terms, psychosis is the loss of touch with reality. When someone is having a psychotic event, their thoughts and beliefs become distorted.
Sometimes the delusions and hallucinations that accompany bipolar symptoms are in keeping with a person’s current mood state, in which case they’re called mood-congruent symptoms, and sometimes the opposite is the casea person’s delusion doesn’t match up with their mood, which is known as mood-incongruent symptoms.
Psychosis is not an illness in and of itself, but a symptom of an underlying disorder. Roughly 3% of the U.S. population will experience psychosis during their lifetime, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, whether they have a mental disorder or not. In fact, there’s an array of non-psychiatric conditions that cause psychoses, including:
- Certain drugs and medications
- Thyroid disorders
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
In bipolar disorder, psychotic events usually occur during manic episodes, but they can develop during a depressive state as well. Either way, if psychotic episodes are part of your bipolar disorder, your official diagnosis will likely bea bipolar disorder with psychotic features .