Are There Reasons to Bipolar Divorce?

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Defined Tag: Bipolar Divorce.

Bipolar disorder is a severe mental condition characterized by recurrent episodes of depression and mania, placing the sufferer and those close to him on a roller coaster ride.

Bipolar divorce rate, in marriages where one of the spouses suffers from bipolar disorder, registers at a staggering 90%.

Bipolar disorder places the sufferer in situations where it is hard for him or her to find ‘normal’ ground. Many sufferers don’t even have a break-even point from the condition, and continuously limbo between bouts of mania and depression, with depression being the more frequent of the two recurring extremes. Many spouses find such erratic behavior hard to put up with, resulting in bipolar divorce.

During periods of depression, sufferers face increased risks of committing suicide. Substance abuse is another common escape route. Such conditions make it all the more difficult for spouses to cope with, on top of the many disconcerting symptoms of the condition and the recurring lapses between the two extremes. Bipolar divorce may take this strain away. Alternating between bouts of normalcy and episodes of bipolar disorder behavior test even the hardest of marriages and many don’t resist the strain, ending in bipolar divorce.

Associated behavior with bipolar disorder, like recklessness and impulsivity especially in manic episodes, can dent a marriage even further. Sufferers under such influence easily fall into debt, indulge in compulsive spending, or engage in affairs. Financial and emotional stability is rocked, and this is another cause of bipolar divorce. Stability also takes a strong blow because many bipolar disorder sufferers find it hard to retain a job. The remaining spouse has to bear the brunt of maintaining one or more jobs to sustain to the household needs and expenses. When this person gets tired of this burden, he or she may seek a separation, leading to bipolar divorce.

Bipolar disorder can also place the other partner at the receiving end of emotional and verbal abuse when the sufferers are in the throes of an episode. When this becomes too much to bear, bipolar divorce may be the only solution. Sufferers also require careful monitoring of their drug intake, and can also become an additional burden as they shouldn’t be left alone. Caring for them is further aggravated by their erratic behavior, and many of such marriages end in bipolar divorce.