What Is Bipolar II (2)?
7. Drug Abuse
Patients with mental health conditions, including bipolar II, are more likely to use drugs and/or alcohol. This can be down to trying to counter the symptoms of depression, and it can also be down to increased risk taking during hypomanic periods. Drug and alcohol use can cause a viscous circle because they can end up making the patient’s symptoms worse.
Another very serious potential problem is that depression will sometimes cause the patient to have suicidal thoughts. What’s more is that they will often keep these thoughts to themselves, meaning other people don’t know that they should be trying to help. Depression is one of the biggest killers of otherwise healthy people.
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