Bipolar Disorder is a medical condition, and yet it can often be closely related to trauma and the negative effects of trauma. The exact connection between surviving trauma and the development of bipolar is not fully understood and definitely needs further exploration.

DID and bipolar are overlapping and yet distinctly different. All the switching and mood changes that occur within DID people sometimes make it difficult to distinguish dissociative issues from rapid cycling bipolar. Even with correct diagnoses, it is often difficult to tell what is a system issue from what is a bipolar issue.

It is very possible, and likely quite common, for severe trauma survivors to be both DID and bipolar. For some, bipolar medication can be very helpful for greater stabilization and increased functioning; yet it definitely does not resolve the trauma issues. All DID’s on bipolar medication will still need to do system work, trauma processing, conflict resolution, etc. They will not become miraculously “non-dissociative” just because they are taking bipolar medication. At the same time, other people with DID do not find bipolar medication helpful and / or necessary. Please refer to your own medical doctor to learn what is appropriate for you and your treatment.

Please note: AbuseConsultants.com does not prescribe medication of any kind.

For those diagnosed with both DID and bipolar, there may be distinct parts in the internal system that correlate with the manic episodes and a different set of internal parts that correlate with the depression. Doing blending and integrative work with parts separated on these chemical differences presents new complications, as the splits may be more than just trauma-based. The differences may be more rigidly set in the brain.

Some of the confusing issues are:

How to diagnosis DID from Bipolar, and from a DID with Bipolar
How to establish internal system communication between manic parts and depressed parts
During a difficult time, do you adjust the meds or resolve dissociative issues?
If the bipolar is left untreated, can the DID really settle, heal, blend, and become functional?
If the DID is left untreated, can the bipolar person ever stop the mood swings?
Did the trauma cause the bipolar?
Did the bipolar cause the splitting?
Did the splitting cause the bipolar?
Will manic parts ever truly be able to integrate with the depressed parts?

If you would like to process any of these issues, please consider a clinical consultation.