Bipolar and Alcohol

Bipolar disorder is a complex mental illness, especially when it is combined with alcohol abuse. Treatment often draws from multiple disciplines and modalities to address the physical, psychological, psychosocial, and neurological needs. In addition to intense individual therapy, patients with this dual diagnosis are offered the following evidence-based interventions:

Motivational Interviewing

This therapy is a collaborative approach in which the client and the therapist work as partners to help the former define their sources of motivation and use them to achieve self-defined goals. The process is highly patient-centred and helps treat bipolar individuals to recover from the effects of alcohol addiction.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

This therapy addresses the destructive behaviours and thought patterns contributing to alcohol addiction, anxiety, and depression. As a part of this therapy, clients learn to recognise and manage self-defeating thoughts through self-affirming coping strategies.

Solution-Focused Therapy

This client-centred approach helps them set and achieve specific goals of bipolar disorder and alcohol addiction management. It focuses more on measurable outcomes instead of diving deeply into the origin of their mental health issues.

Trauma Therapies

A history of violence, childhood abuse, trauma, or chaotic living environments often triggers the bipolar disorder. Trauma therapies such as Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) are added to the treatment programs to manage such cases. Once the symptoms of bipolar disorder are under control, the addictive behaviours related to alcohol use are likely to reduce.

Medications

Medication therapy has proven to be highly beneficial for many people with bipolar disorder. By restoring the balance in their energy levels and mood, these medications can also curb the impulse to abuse alcohol. An expert carefully determines the choice of medication by evaluating each case individually. Some common medicines used to treat bipolar disorder include mood stabilisers, antidepressants, and antipsychotics.

For more comprehensive care for a client with this dual diagnosis, a good rehab centre often provides a single treatment programme for managing alcohol abuse and bipolar disorder simultaneously. These programmes are offered at different levels of care, including:

• Medical detox centres (inpatient or outpatient)
• Inpatient treatment
• Residential rehabilitation
• Partial hospitalisation programmes
• Outpatient programmes
• Intensive outpatient programmes

In the early stages of rehabilitation, many clients benefit more from inpatient and residential treatment programmes. However, once the foundation for recovery is established through intensive residential treatment, they may transition to outpatient services for more autonomy and flexibility.