Bipolar disorder is a serious psychological condition that causes periods of severe depression that alternates with periods of manic behavior. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 2.5 million American women suffer from bipolar disorder.
Women with Bipolar Disorder
Both men and women can be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but the condition often affects women differently. Men may experience more frequent episodes of mania while women often suffer from more frequent and more intense episodes of depression. Women are also more likely to suffer from the rapid-cycling version of the disorder, in which mood swings occur frequently and suddenly.
Bipolar Disorder and Divorce
In “Managing Bipolar Disorder” by Hara Estroff Marano, published in Psychology Today on November 1, 2003, the author reports that about 90% of all relationships involving a person with bipolar disorder terminate in divorce, a much higher divorce rate than we find in the general population. Any mental illness can cause stress in relationships, and dealing with episodes of severe depression and the impulsive, risk-taking behaviors common during manic episodes can certainly be hard on a relationship.
Stress Due to Divorce
People with bipolar disorder frequently experience an increase in symptoms during times of stress, and divorce is certainly very stressful. Women with bipolar disorder should be monitored closely by their physicians and/or therapists while going through a divorce, and they may need adjustments to their medications. They may require additional support in the form of support group sessions, extra therapy sessions, and simply extra support and care from friends and family members.
Financial Concerns
Many women with bipolar disorder work at good jobs and have no financial difficulties due to their disorder. However, some people with the condition have difficulty maintaining steady employment. In addition, treatment for bipolar disorder usually involves both costly prescription medications and costly psychotherapy sessions. Many women, whether they have bipolar disorder or not, experience financial difficulties during and immediately after a divorce, and that might be particularly problematic for women with the condition.
If women rely on their husbands for financial support, or if they rely on their husbands’ medical insurance to pay for their treatment, they may have trouble meeting their financial needs and paying for the treatment they need. Social workers at clinics, hospitals, or other agencies where women receive treatment for bipolar disorder can help them with making a budget if necessary and refer them to community resources and help them apply for benefits like food stamps, housing assistance, and Medicaid if appropriate.
Issues of Child Custody
Women with bipolar disorder may worry that they will lose custody of their children in a divorce due to their condition. This is not necessarily the case, though. Having a mental illness does not automatically mean one is not a fit parent and family courts do not assume it does. Custody cases are decided based on what is in the best interests of the children. If the father of the children asserts that the woman is not a fit mother due to her condition, the court will examine the evidence and decide what is best for the children.
Sources:
National Institute of Mental Health. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder/complete-index.shtml.
Bipolar Disorder.
Psych Central. http://psychcentral.com/lib/2007/women-and-bipolar-disorder. Women and Bipolar Disorder.
Psychology Today. http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200311/managing-bipolar-disorder. Managing Bipolar Disorder.
Mayo Clinic. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bipolar-disorder/DS00356. Bipolar Disorder.
Healthy Place. http://www.healthyplace.com/bipolar-disorder/women/women-and-bipolar-disorder/menu-id-67. Women and Bipolar Disorder.
