People suffering with an eating disorder often have a dual addiction with alcohol. Emotional overeating and/or alcohol abuse are only symptoms of an underlying problem. One of the significant problems people with bipolar disorder grapple with is weight gain. A percentage of overweight/bipolar people have problems with their medication and weight gain is one of the side effects of using antipsychotics. However, research suggests that the whole picture is a bit more complicated than laying blame on the medications alone. Research into the factors surrounding weight gain and bipolar disorder estimate that 35% of people with bipolar disorder are obese. Bipolar disorder, once commonly known as manic depression, is a serious mental disorder that is characterized by sudden and intense shifts in mood, behavior and energy levels. Additional theories about the increased weight risk associated with bipolar disorder include a childhood history of neglect or abuse, which is reported in 36% to 49% of people with bipolar disorder. Such abuse or neglect is also highly associated with eating disorders. Alcohol and prescription drug abuse are also singled out as possible factors, both occurring with increased prevalence within people who have bipolar disorder than those without. I have counseled a lot of people with obese issues who did not know they were bipolar. It can take many years for an accurate assessment and people often go undiagnosed wondering why they can’t lose weight. Like substance abuse, bipolar disorder poses a risk to the individual’s physical and emotional well-being. Those afflicted with bipolar disorder have a higher rate of relationship problems, economic instability, accidental injuries and suicide than the general population. People suffering with a bipolar disorder are more likely to develop an addiction to food or alcohol. An alcoholic bipolar patient can stop abusing alcohol by going to a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous or attend private counseling sessions. An overeater bipolar patient can’t stop eating and may have to attend O.A. Meetings (Overeater Anonymous) as well as private counseling for their food addiction. I have known some bipolar patients who have run the gauntlet of just about every addiction there is, including behavioral and ingesting (alcohol and/or food.) Anxiety can be a symptom of bipolar disorder. There are two ways you can have anxiety with bipolar disorder. First, it can be a symptom of the bipolar disorder itself. Secondly, you can have a separate anxiety condition in addition to bipolar disorder. This is often referred to as a “co-morbid” condition. What is the anxiety of bipolar disorder like? Patients describe it as “agitation” and sometimes that is quite obvious: their foot bounces on the floor while we talk; they pick at their nails; sometimes they can’t even bear to sit still and will get up and pace around the office during our counseling session. But sometimes the agitation is only “inside” with patients experiencing “too much energy inside my skin”, like they are going to explode”, and usually their thoughts are going very fast (sometimes called “racing thoughts”). However, when this is severe, people may not experience that fast thinking, but instead just an extremely disorganized thinking – not being able to keep their mind on one thing for more than a few seconds, not being able to accomplish anything. They suffer with a very short concentration span. If they are going through an anxious, stressful, overwhelming time, their speech is often very rapid and it is as though they are trying to squeeze in as many words without having to take a breath. When this kind of anxiety is present with other manic symptoms like irritability, it can create an awful experience people feel desperate to get out of. This is when they often discover that alcohol can help settle this down for an hour or two. Unfortunately, when it wears off, the symptoms come back, very often worse than before. If a person responds to that by drinking more, that can cause a worsening of the condition over several days or weeks – but because they get brief relief from drinking, they keep doing it and often have to drink more and more over time to keep their symptoms controlled. This is a dangerous spiral which is statistically associated with successful suicide attempts, so represents a clear reason to get help as soon as possible. When this kind of anxiety is present with depression, this may be the worst combination of all. Anxiety is a very strong risk factor for suicide when people are depressed. The future looks hopeless and pointless because of the depression and the present feels unbearable. That’s when bipolar disorder people turn to alcohol or food to try and feel normal again. Another interesting fact is that about 40% of people with bipolar disorder also have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Growing up in an environment of trauma appears to raise the risk of getting bipolar disorder, if one is genetically susceptible. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) has a complex relationship with bipolar disorder. I’ve seen patients with PTSD, Bipolar Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder all under the same roof. The lady was in her 70’s by the time the medical profession accurately diagnosed her multiple mental health disorders that she masked by heavy drinking. Treating bipolar disorder patients with dual addictions is challenging and can only be successful if the patient is honest about their symptoms. Some people perceive bipolar disorder as a stigma and try to cover up their hostile, irrational thoughts with alcohol or using food for comfort; hence we have obesity in over 75% of the population coupled with 20% suffering with acute alcoholism. If you have battled obesity and/or alcoholism and are sick and tired of being sick and tired, go to your local doctor and ask for a medical assessment for Bipolar Disorder as treatment of this disorder is different from handing out an anti-depressant and hoping for the best. Sometimes, antidepressants can exacerbate the problem. To help you in your early days of recovery, I recommend amino acids to help balance brain chemistry and a good liver tonic to help repair liver damage if you have been drinking heavily or eating junk food. Specific amino acids are essential for the liver to breakdown toxins and drugs and also for efficient metabolism in the liver. l-Glutamine. This amino acid is required for phase two detoxification in the liver and is required in increased amounts by those who consume excessive alcohol. It is able to reduce the craving for alcohol. l-Glutamine supplementation is helpful for intestinal disorders such as peptic ulcers and leaky gut syndrome. Leaky gut is the term used to describe an inflamed condition of the lining of the bowel, which makes the bowel too permeable, so that toxins and incompletely digested food particles can be absorbed from the bowels directly into the liver. This increases the workload of the liver and may cause many health problems. l-Glutamine is essential for the white cells to fight viruses such as hepatitis B and C. Glutamine is converted in the body into glutamic acid, which, along with the amino acids cysteine and glycine, is converted into the powerful liver protector glutathione. Glutathione is essential for liver phase two conjugation reactions used during detoxification of drugs and toxic chemicals. Glutamine can be found in my Ultimate Gut Health powder. LivaTone Plus is a natural liver tonic containing the liver herbs St Mary’s Thistle, Globe Artichoke and Dandelion, combined with the amino acid Taurine, and Lecithin. It also contains natural sources of Chlorophyll, Carotenoids and fibre. It is available in both capsule and powder form. The liver is the main fat burning organ in the body and regulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism. A healthy liver will take fat in the form of cholesterol and pump it via the bile into the intestines where it will be carried away in the bowel actions provided the diet is high in fiber. Tyrosine Mood Food - Tyrosine is a natural amino acid - one of the building blocks of protein. It is required for the manufacture of the brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) dopamine and noradrenaline. These neurotransmitters are required for concentration, alertness, memory and a happy, stable mood. Magnesium – the great relaxer. Magnesium plays an essential role in maintaining and promoting efficient muscle function and nerve transmission. Magnesium is a vital mineral for hundreds of cellular enzymes involved in the body's energy production and metabolism. It is required by the nervous system to regulate the function of nerves and muscles. Magnesium may also assist in the reduction of stress, nervous tension, anxiety and sleeplessness. The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.