Bipolar Disorder and the High Sensitivity Trait

The intersection between bipolar disorder and high sensitivity is not discussed but there is a strong correlation. Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder defined as having mood “episodes” of either mania/hypomania or depression. 

Mania/hypomania:

• high energy
  

• impulsivity
  

• recklessness/poor judgment
  

• rapid speech
  

• flight of ideas
  

• hypersexuaity
  

• irritability
  

• creativity and productivity
  

Depression:

• low mood
  

• hopelessness
  

• low energy
  

• loss of pleasure in everyday activities
  

• suicidal ideation or attempt
  

• irritability
  

These episodes can last for a few days, months, or sometimes years at a time, but there can also be many stable periods in a bipolar person’s life. Life with bipolar disorder can be difficult and without the right supports many with bipolar disorder tend to struggle with maintaining a job and relationships. 

Individuals with BP are highly sensitive to shifts in their environment, whether that’s social, physical, internal, or emotional. A small shift can plunge a bipolar individual into a manic or depressive episode. The brain of someone with bipolar and the brain of highly sensitive people are similar in that information is absorbed more deeply and their bodies are more sensitive with their senses, meaning that they process their environment deeper through the five senses and get overwhelmed and overstimulated more easily. 

A typical individual’s threshold for a shift from low to high mood or vice versa might be much higher than a bipolar individual’s threshold, making the bipolar individual very highly sensitive. For example, when a bipolar individual has one glass of alcohol, they might feel much more tipsy than the average person, and it may even put them in a depressive or manic episode. However, every body is different and there are no rules when it comes to this. This is why many people with bipolar disorder cannot tolerate substances like alcohol - their bodies cannot handle the impact on their physiology, and the medications they take can also augment the effects of the alcohol. Moreover, an individual with bipolar disorder might be moving houses and this shift in environment and stress of moving can trigger bipolar episodes or mania or depression, when it would not do that with an individual without bipolar disorder. 

Bipolar individuals are also sensitive to stress and sleep quality. When stress levels are high and sleep quality is poor, the individual is more likely to have a manic episode which results in them feeling out of control with their energy and making impulsive decisions. At this stage of the episode it is difficult to tame, and usually medication is one of the only options. Sleep is the backbone of stability in a bipolar individual, yet many struggle with insomnia and other sleep disorders due to the nature of the illness. It is said that the circadian rhythm is disrupted in individuals with bipolar disorder. 

Individuals with bipolar disorder are some of the most highly sensitive individuals and it is unclear whether the sensitivity came after the bipolar onset or before. But my opinion is that it was always there, it just got enhanced after the bipolar diagnosis. Individuals that are highly sensitive from birth may be more prone to developing bipolar disorder, and conversely, individuals who develop bipolar disorder may become more sensitive after the fact. 

To manage this sensitivity, it is important for individuals with bipolar disorder to have acute awarness of their triggers and what puts them in a bipolar episode. This could be substances like alcohol and caffeine, stress levels, poor sleep, relationship stress, and changes in their environment. Having this awareness and preparing for a possible mood shift can help tremendously to alleviate potential symptoms. For example, if breakups historically propel an individual into a depressive episode, it is important that they have the supports in place to help them navigate it. This looks like having family and friends around, a solid workout schedule, pets, and immersing themselves into a hobby or into work. 

Another example is stress from work. Individuals who are in high stress jobs or toxic workplaces may find symptoms of mania increasing during these times. Many people with bipolar choose to work in low stress jobs like bookstores and massage therapy, but many also love what they do despite it being a stressful work environment. To help manage a stressful work environment, it might help to find a mentor or supervisor that you can trust at work, and if not, a colleague that you can trust. Having that support can help tremendously. Additionally, getting accommodations at work through Human Resources might be supportive as you can get extra time off work in case of an episode, or other ways to manage the work environment like having a quiet workspace or extended deadlines. These are all negotiable under reasonable accommodation within your workplace but is worth having a conversation about. Knowing when to step back and having that awareness of when work stress is taking over and impacting your health will prevent bipolar symptoms and episodes from happening.

Overall, a person bipolar disorder sensitivity is a gift as it yields creativity and kindness. With awareness and radical acceptance, they can thrive and capitalize on their strengths. An individual with bipolar disorder can succeed in life as a highly sensitive person if they have the awareness of their strengths and triggers, capitalizing on their strengths and minimizing and supporting their triggers. Some successful people with bipolar disorder include: Halsey, Kurt Cobain, Carrie Fisher, Francis Ford Coppola, Vincent van Gogh, Selena Gomez, Frida Kahlo, and more. If you’d like more resources on bipolar disorder and sensitivity, Kay Redfield Jamison is a clinical psychologist with bipolar disorder who has written books about it. Her books An Unquiet Mind and Touched With Fire are descriptive of what it’s like to live with and succeed with bipolar disorder.