Is It Bipolar Disorder or Drugpolar Disorder? Is It Bipolar Disorder or Drugpolar Disorder? Is It Bipolar Disorder or Drugpolar Disorder? Is It Bipolar Disorder or Drugpolar Disorder?

Abstract

With prevalence rates as high as 50%-70%, substance abuse is highly prevalent in patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder. [1,2] As such, bipolar disorder and substance use disorders are often considered to be comorbid with the primary or leading diagnosis, on the basis of the patient's ability to recall whether emotional lability pre- or postdated their use of substances. Because bipolar disorder and substance-induced mood disorders can acutely present in an identical manner; differentiating between the 2 can be very difficult, if not impossible, when mood lability is manifested. [3-5]