Bipolar Disorder is a type of mental health issue in which a person experiences sudden mood swings and fluctuations in their personality. This condition can significantly impact a person’s life, causing emotional lows and highs. This serious condition affects not only one’s mental ability but one’s physical well-being, too. Most people with bipolar disorder gain excessive weight. You must be wondering how and why. In this post, we will discuss the five major reasons for sudden weight gain if you’re someone with bipolar disorder.
Before we start discussing why bipolar disorder patients gain weight, let’s quickly learn about the symptoms of bipolar disorder.
What Bipolar Symptoms One Can Develop?
As discussed above, Bipolar Disorder can cause extreme mood swings and fluctuations in one’s personality. Additionally, the sufferer may develop the following bipolar symptoms:
- Self-doubt and lack of confidence in self-made decisions
- Trouble falling asleep
- Early waking up and sleeplessness
- Frequent feelings of guilt and despair
- Losing interest in daily activities
- Unable to pay attention, concentrate, or focus on a particular task
- Difficulty remembering things
- Feeling hopeless all the time
- Eating Disorders and loss of appetite
- Suicidal and uncontrollable negative thoughts
- Easily getting distracted or irritated
Apart from this, one of the most common bipolar symptoms is excessive weight gain. One may gain weight due to the prescribed treatments to treat the above-given developing symptoms. In the next section, we will discuss what bipolar disorder treatment can increase weight.
Treatments Causing Weight Gain in Bipolar Disorder
Many medical researchers state that the below-given Treatments can cause weight gain in bipolar disorder conditions. These are:
- Valproate
- Clozapine
- Risperidone
- Quetiapine
- Gabapentin
- Olanzapine
- Lithium treatment
What are the Reasons for Sudden Weight Gain in Bipolar Disorder?
Though treatments for bipolar disorder play a vital role in suddenly increasing a person’s weight, there are a few more reasons for sudden weight gain in bipolar disorder. Have a look:
Change in Metabolism
According to healthcare professionals, bipolar disorder can highly affect one’s metabolism, leading to obesity and metabolic comorbidity. The metabolism syndrome brings people with bipolar depression to conditions like sudden weight gain, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. Also, this disorder slows down a person’s normal metabolism rate, leading to weight gain.
Lithium Treatment
Lithium is effective in promoting the production level of happy hormones, including dopamine. In addition, lithium helps a person control emotions and cope better with the developing signs of bipolar disorder. But, along with dopamine, lithium treatment also affects the metabolism of hormones, including insulin and leptin. The change in the production levels of insulin and leptin is another reason for gaining body weight.
Antidepressants
Antidepressants are highly recommended for all types of depression, including bipolar disorder. Doctors often prescribe Antidepressants along with mood stabilizers or antipsychotic drugs as a treatment of bipolar disorder. These drugs together can treat emotions lows (depression) and highs (mania or hypomania) better. At the same time, with the regular antidepressant dosage, one can gain excess weight.
Binge Eating Disorder
One of the common eating disorders is binge eating disorder, which is a developing sign of bipolar disorder. This disorder is about eating a large amount of food in a short period of time. Additionally, one may lose control of what or how much to eat. People with bipolar disorder become habitual of binge eating due to the disruption of their moods, appetite, and brain’s ability to control things.
Sleeplessness Problems
One of the common developing signs of bipolar disorder is the sleeplessness issue. Good sleep and getting to bed at the right time are essential for living healthily. Unfortunately, people with bipolar depression develop sleeping disorders and are unable to get a good plus required sleep. The hormonal changes due to bipolar disorder make people eat more calories and pick unhealthy eating options containing excessive carbohydrates and fats. As a result, they suddenly gain weight, leading to obesity.
How to Diagnose and Opt for the Treatment of Bipolar Disorder?
There are specific criteria for diagnosing bipolar disorder that help one to opt for the most suitable treatment of bipolar disorder. According to medical science, one can experience the following types of bipolar disorders:
- Bipolar I Disorder
- Bipolar II Disorder
- Cyclothymic disorder (cyclothymia)
- A few more uncategorized bipolar depression conditions
The symptoms vary based on the type of bipolar disorder one is going through, and accordingly, the mood disorder Bipolar weight gain solutions also differ.
Healthcare professionals may include a physical examination and ask patients for some diagnostic tests like blood and urine tests to detect the symptoms of the types of bipolar disorder.
Options for Treatment of Bipolar Disorder
The main objective of bipolar disorder treatments is to stabilize one’s mood and improve the worsening symptoms. Health experts recommend the following treatment options to the person with bipolar disorder signs:
Psychotherapy
A psychiatric support people with bipolar disorder using psychotherapies, including Cognitive Behavioral therapy (CBT) and Family-focused therapy (FFT). Cognitive behavioural therapy works on thinking patterns, whereas family-focused treatment helps signs of bipolarity by easing family stress, improving emotional support from family members, and enhancing family relationships.
Regular Exercises
It’s essential to exert every day to maintain proper mental and physical well-being. For the ones who are finding mood disorder bipolar weight gain solutions, exercising daily is the perfect solution. It not only helps in relaxing the mind but improving metabolism and appetites affected by bipolarity. The ones who are gaining weight due to bipolar disorder also get help in getting back to the perfect and healthy body weight.
Treatments
To improve the worsening signs of bipolar disorder, people are also suggested to take Treatments, including mood stabilizers and antipsychotic Treatments, and in some cases, antidepressants are also prescribed. These drugs help one’s brain ability to control one’s moods, emotions, and thoughts.
Meditation or Yoga
Daily meditation or yoga can be miraculous for cases of bipolarity. Bipolar disorder is a mental health issue, and there is nothing more effective than meditation or yoga to relax your mind and feel easy naturally. Even a psychiatric support people with bipolar disorder using yoga therapy as a complementary bipolar treatment. However, it’s not only a first-line treatment but can be considered to relax one’s disturbed bipolar mind.
Self-Management Strategies and Help
Many health professionals and experts plan self-management strategies for people suffering from bipolar disorder issues. These plans include proper education about bipolarity conditions, knowledge to recognize the early rising symptoms of bipolar disorder, and required information about treating such disorders.
Role of a Nutritionist in Weight Management for Bipolar People
As we have discussed enough in this post, bipolarity can significantly cause weight gain issues among the sufferers. That’s why it’s advised to follow a proper weight management plan and consult a nutritionist while going through the stages of bipolar disorder. The role of a nutritionist in weight management is quite important. Nutritionists create personalized meal plans as per one’s type and signs of bipolar disorder.
Some people gain weight while many lose weight, undergoing the signs of bipolar mood problems. For the ones who lose weight in excess, nutritionists suggest weight gain therapy and decide on the meals accordingly.
Also, due to extreme mood swings and hormonal changes, bipolar people opt for unhealthy food choices that cause sudden and drastic weight gain. Here again, the role of a nutritionist in weight management comes into play, teaching people what’s healthy and unhealthy for them.
Summing Up!
Undoubtedly, Bipolar disorder issues can last throughout life. But, by opting for suitable treatments, therapies, healthy lifestyle protocols, and treatment, one can overcome the signs of bipolarity. As now you have learnt about the reasons for sudden weight gain in the condition of bipolar disorder, go for diagnosis and treatment accordingly.
Also Read: How Can Having Chronic Pain Help You Sleep Better?
