Dual-diagnosis care
Bipolar Disorder and Addiction Treatment
Bipolar disorder and addiction destabilize each other. Integrated care treats the mood disorder and the substance use in one plan.
About this condition
Bipolar disorder and addiction
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition marked by significant mood changes — emotional highs and lows that affect energy, activity, judgment, and behavior. It is a long-term condition, and effective management combines medication and psychotherapy to reduce the intensity and frequency of mood episodes.
Many people with bipolar disorder self-medicate: drinking or using drugs to lift a depressive phase or to rein in the energy and agitation of a manic one. Substances interfere with the medications used to treat bipolar disorder and make mood swings more severe, so treating one condition while ignoring the other rarely holds. Care here addresses both at once.
Bipolar disorder and addiction treatment is provided through Ambrosia’s South Florida programs, where medical and mental health clinicians work from one plan — medication, psychotherapy, and holistic supports chosen so they do not pull in different directions.
Signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder shows up in two broad kinds of episodes, and the swings between them are what define the condition.
Depressive episodes can include recurrent thoughts of death or suicide. If those thoughts are present, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — free, confidential, and available 24/7.
Manic or hypomanic episodes
Increased energy and restlessness, euphoric mood, irritability, inflated self-esteem, pressured speech, racing thoughts, distractibility, and poor judgment — risky or impulsive behavior like spending sprees or unwise investments.
Depressive episodes
Sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness, loss of interest in most activities, appetite and sleep changes, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, agitation or slowing, and thoughts of death or suicide.
Types of bipolar disorder
Bipolar I disorder
Manic episodes lasting at least seven days, or manic symptoms severe enough to require immediate hospital care, with depressive episodes typically lasting at least two weeks.
Bipolar II disorder
A pattern of depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes without the full-blown mania of Bipolar I.
Cyclothymic disorder
Periods of hypomanic and depressive symptoms lasting at least two years that do not meet full diagnostic criteria for either episode type.
Other specified and unspecified
Bipolar-like mood disorders that fit none of the categories above — sometimes with rapid cycling or mixed features of mania and depression.
How often the two occur together
The overlap is substantial. Up to 60% of people with bipolar disorder will experience a substance use disorder at some point in their lives, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that people with mood disorders are twice as likely to struggle with substance use.
The combination is harder on people than either condition alone: more severe symptoms, higher rates of suicide attempts, longer and more frequent episodes, and lower quality of life. That is exactly why the two are treated together — and why suicidal thoughts should always be taken seriously. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is there when they arise.
Diagnosing both conditions
An accurate dual diagnosis takes more than a single conversation. Clinicians combine detailed interviews, psychological evaluations, and questionnaires about mood patterns and substance use; a review of medical history to surface underlying conditions or genetic predispositions; and observation over time to understand mood fluctuations and use patterns. Together, those pieces shape a treatment plan that targets both conditions.
How bipolar disorder and addiction are treated
- Medication
Mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, or antidepressants manage the mood symptoms, while other medications support withdrawal and long-term abstinence — prescribed with the full picture in view.
- Psychotherapy
CBT works on negative thought patterns; DBT teaches coping skills and emotional regulation; family therapy brings loved ones into the process.
- Peer support
Group sessions and support groups such as AA or NA provide community, accountability, and encouragement from people with similar experiences.
- Holistic approaches
Mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and nutrition counseling support mood, energy, and stress management alongside the clinical work.
Ready to talk with admissions?
Admissions is available 24/7 to answer questions about mental health and substance use treatment options.