Will my partner develop other Psychiatric illnesses?

Schizophrenia:

Sometimes doctors have difficulty distinguishing actively psychotic manias from schizophrenia. Perhaps that´s why partners and other family members of my bipolar patients frequently ask me, particularly when the diagnosis is bipolar I with psychotic features, whether a love one´s condition could turn into schizophrenia. Let me assure you that people who have bipolar disorder are not at increased risk of developing schizophrenia. The doctor´s obtaining a careful and complete history of the ilness and following up with your partner over time can ensure that your love one`s condition is diagnosed accurately.

Personality Disorders

It´s not unusual for bipolar individuals to have personality disorders as well. But since personality disorders, by definition, have their onet in adolescence and are well established by early adulthooh , a person who does no already have such a disorder cannot develop one later on in life.

Anxiety Disorders 

Many bipolar individuals have anxiety disorder -panic disorder, social anxxiety, obssesive- compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder,posttraumatic stress disorder, and phobias-- in addition to their bipolar disorders. These disorders can precede or follow the onset of the bipolar disorder, but in either event, they will be important for your mate to deal with since anxiety ( in adition to being a problem in its own right) often precipitates the development of a mood episode, particularly hypomania and mania.

Substance Abuse

Bipolar individuals are at a greatly increased risk of having alcohol or drug abuse or dependence. In fact more than half (60%) do. Substance abuse can mask bipolar, making it harder to diagnose. As I mentioned early, it also can worsen the course of the disorder by lenghtening mood episodes and increasing their severity. Of greatest concern, however, is the fact that substance use problems among bipolar individuals are strongly are strongly associated with suicidal behavior.

Source: When someone you love is bipolar.Cynthia G. Last, PhD

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