CBD and Bipolar Disorder: Help or Risk?

Mental disorders are still somewhat taboo in modern society, and people with mental illness are often viewed as undesirable, but we should pay even more attention to them. Bipolar disorder represents one of the greatest risks, as about 50% of affected patients attempt suicide. Doctors and patients rely on standard treatment, with occasional new methods that usually come to nothing. CBD, as is known, affects a wide range of processes in the body – but could it help with mental health in the case of bipolar disorder?

Signs of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Affective Disorder (BAD), previously known as manic-depressive psychosis, is a mental disorder characterized by alternating periods of mania and depression. Patients show extreme mood swings lasting days, weeks, or even months. Rarely do patients experience ultra-rapid cycling, where mania and depression can alternate several times during the day or within a few hours. BAD affects all age groups, but it usually begins to manifest in late adolescence or early adulthood.

Symptoms of Depressive Episode

During this period, there are the most suicide attempts because the patient loses the will to live. Symptoms include typical signs of depression, such as sadness, fatigue, loss of self-confidence, tearfulness, sleep disorders, negativism, eating disorders (excessive consumption or loss of appetite), hopelessness, decreased energy and performance, or inability to experience any joy.

Symptoms of Manic Episode

Simply put, manic episodes are the opposite of depressive ones, but again in extreme limits. The patient has disproportionately high self-confidence, tendency to exaggerate, euphoric mood, accelerated thinking and reactions, reduced appetite and need for sleep – for some, this also means a higher risk of substance abuse, which is often associated with BAD. If you thought the aforementioned depressive episode was the biggest problem, it may not necessarily be so. During a manic phase, the patient may overspend money, gamble, take nonsensical loans, constantly establish new relationships, etc. The described manifestations can escalate into delusions, hallucinations, or perception disorders.

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