Transcript PowerPoint Presentation - Coffee: More Than Just a Jolt in the

Alcohol and Antipsychotic Medication: Insane Mix
Christina Dickey
Beloit College, Beloit, Wisconsin
Abstract
Results
According to one study, 40%-70% of those with bipolar
disorder also had a substance abuse problem. Bipolar
symptoms often worsen when alcohol is consumed. The
alcohol interacts with the medication in a way that prevents
it from working and can even elevate the symptoms of
mania.
Some people may not realize that alcohol is a depressant. Mixing
antidepressants and alcohol can be dangerous and possibly fatal.
My goal was to investigate the dangers of mixing anti-psychotics
and drinking so that those who chose to combine the two can be
informed about the serious, long-term risks to their mental and
physical health. Studies show that alcohol prohibits
antidepressants and antipsychotics from working. When the two
are combined, there is a higher occurrence of psychotic episodes
and more drastic symptoms of intoxication. People who take
Lithium should not drink. With bipolar disorder the consequences
of drinking are drastic and almost immediate. The alcohol changes
the already unstable chemistry in the brain and can lead to black
outs, manic episodes, and on the physical end, liver failure.
Figure 1 shows that people with mental disorders are more
likely to have a substance abuse problem.
However, studies show that bipolar patients can recover
from their alcoholism more easily then alcoholics without
bipolar disorder, and with less chance of relapsing than
most alcoholics, when treated with a combination of
medication and therapy.
Introduction
With the development of modern psychology, more people have
been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The condition is caused by
an imbalance in the brain and involves times of mania and
depression, among other things. There are several types of bipolar
disorder. Type I, the most severe, has the most drastic symptoms
including mania that can last for a few weeks at a time.Type II
usually involves hypomania and elevated self esteem. Cyclothymia
causes hypomania and depression.
Major depression, the kind of depression that will most likely
benefit from treatment with medications, is a condition that lasts 2
weeks or more, interferes with a person's ability to carry out daily
tasks and enjoy activities that previously brought pleasure.
Depression is associated with abnormal functioning of the brain.
An interaction between genetic tendency and life history appears
to determine a person's chance of becoming depressed. Episodes
of depression may be triggered by stress, difficult life events, side
effects of medications, medication/substance withdrawal, or even
viral infections that can affect the brain(1).
Method
I used peer reviewed literature, and online sources.
References
1. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/medicate.cfm
2. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh25-2/126135_files/image002.jpg&imgrefurl=http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh25-2/126135.htm&h=340&w=450&sz=13&hl=en&start=6&tbnid=5YE75gpE888k7M:&tbnh=96&tbnw=127&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dalcohol
%2Band%2Banti%2Bdepressants%2B%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG
3. http://www.nelmh.net/downloads/ukppg/LITHIUM.PDF
4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7375485&dopt=Abstract
5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=4006376&dopt=Abstract
for MEDLINE]
6. http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=3634530 Résumé / Abstract
7.http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=qlDFD0SLXlcC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&sig=93zzqwTJobOjCOFDCvIkdNbj4T4&dq=antipsy
chotics+and+alcohol+use+#PPP10,M1
8. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/medicate.cfm
9. http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/156/10/1506/F1
Discussion
Figure 1: Comorbid Mood Disorders* and Substance Abuse
Any Substance Abuse or
Dependence(%)
Alcohol Dependence (%)
Alcohol Abuse (%)
Any Mood Disorder
32.0
4.9
6.9
Any Bipolar Disorder
56.1
27.6
16.1
Bipolar I
60.7
31.5
14.7
Bipolar II
48.1
20.8
18.4
Unipolar Depression
27.2
11.6
5.0
NOTES: *Mood disorders include depression and bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder, or manic depression, is characterized by extreme mood swings.
Bipolar I disorder is the most severe bipolar disorder. Bipolar II disorder is less
severe.
Unipolar depression is depression without manic episodes.
SOURCE: The Epidemiologic Catchment Area study (Regier et al. 1990).
Figure 1 shows the ECA study (Regier et al. 1990). This
study showed that 60.7% of people who have Bipolar I
disorder had a lifetime diagnosis of substance abuse, (e.g.
alcohol, drugs). There were 48.1% of people with Bipolar II
disorder who had a substance use disorder while 39.2% had
an alcohol abuse problem. It should be noted that alcohol
dependence was found to be more likely with Bipolar
disorder than with alcohol abuse. There is very little research
into the effects of antidepressants when combined with
alcohol. More research needs to be done on the dangers of
combining the two.
Conclusion
With the congruence of substance abuse and Bipolar
disorder, those with bipolar disorder should be cautious
when it comes to substance use. Alcohol can increase the
rapid cycling of moods and enhance the mania associated
with bipolar disorder.