Bipolar: Smoking and Bipolar Disorder
Published: Fri, 06/14/13
Hi ,
How's your day going today?
I hope you're having a really great one.
I saw this post on my blog and wanted to share it with
you, because I thought it was a very important topic:
"Hi Dave There is something I have not read about in your
emails. I wonder if there have ever been studies done about
the effects of tobacco use or nicotine with bipolar disorder.
My father was a mile mannered gentleman who was liked
and respected by most people.
He was a heavy smoker. He quit smoking about age 50.
Ather he quit smoking, his personality changed. He began
using a lot of profanity, he physically attacted the mailman,
and when a local church burned down, he tried to take credit
for that. I thought he needed some kind of mental help. I
planned to consult with an attorney.
The day I was going to see an attoryney, I heard a newscast
announcing the the govorner of the statr (Missouri) had
sighned a bill the prevoius day forbidding involuntary
detainment of persons with a mental disorder. this was in
the 1970s before people had heard of bipolar disorder. the
rest of his life, he put me and my mother through a lot of
verbal abuse. My mother said she wished he would start
smoking again.
I have heard that nicotine has some effects on the brain and
may have something to do with delaying the onset of alzheimer's
disease. I sonder if you have heard of any studies having to
do with bipolar disorder. I would appreciate any news about
this in your email.
Regards
Fred
================================
I have been asked about this before.
Smoking does have an effect on the brain because
it affects the dopamine receptors, which are the
pleasure centers in your brain.
That's what makes it so difficult to quit.
And it can have some effect on medications taken
for things like bipolar disorder.
That's why doctors always ask you if you smoke and
how much you smoke (and for how long), and because
smoking does have an effect on you.
As far as research on studies for bipolar disorder, it's
best to take an entire day or two to go to a university
library.
That's what I always have to do.
You basically go to a big university and then spend the
day researching for the study you are looking for.
That's what I recommend in my courses/systems when
you need to do research on bipolar disorder, which you
should do when your loved one is first diagnosed and
even after, so you can keep up with the latest research
on the disorder.
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I believe there are also studies on bipolar disorder
and smoking but I don't remember the details.
I do know this, though -
That several people who I know who quit smoking
and had bipolar disorder went into episodes.
Does this mean that you can't quit smoking when
you have bipolar disorder?
NO.
But if you do, in my opinion, you need a plan if you
are going to do so.
Talk to your doctor and therapist.
Tell them you want to quit smoking.
Talk with your supporters.
Make a plan with all of them.
Check out all the programs that are for quitting
smoking.
There are a ton of them, everything from meditation
to some kind of therapy programs to tapes and CDs to
hypnosis (NOTE: I am not endorsing any one or
which one.)
Whatever you are doing, make sure that you are
monitored and if something goes wrong you have a
plan B in place as well.
Michele who works for me once quit smoking and
went into a mini bipolar episode.
According to her, here are the mistakes she made:
1. She didn't do any research.
2. She didn't have a plan.
3. She didn't talk to anyone about it.
4. She didn't tell her doctor.
5. She didn't explore options.
6. She took medication she hadn't
checked out thoroughly to see
if it would affect her bipolar
disorder.
The biggest mistake she made, though, was when she
started having side effects, she didn't stop using the
medication, because she wanted to quit smoking so
bad.
That's what ended her up in the hospital in a bipolar
episode.
So, even though quitting smoking is important, you
also have to have a plan and not make the mistakes that
Michele made.
What do you think?
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Well, I have to go!
Your Friend,
Dave
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