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Sex is an important part of most of our lives and no less so for people living withbipolar disorder. But maintaining a healthy sexual relationship when bipolar can be as complex as the disease itself.
Depending on the individual, behaviors can swing from periods of excessive sexuality to ones where sexual libido and function are seriously diminished. This high level of variability can impact a person’s ability todateor maintain a long-term relationship.
On the one hand, the impulsivity associated with bipolar mania can fuel unhealthy and even hurtful behaviors, while the rigors of depression can strain even the most committed relationships.
Mania and Hypersexuality
It is not unusual for people to experience a heightened sense of sexuality during a manic episode. In and of itself, this is not a problem. It is when it is paired with impulsivity, risk-taking, poor judgment, and expansiveness—all features of bipolar mania—that hypersexuality can be destructive.
When the pursuit of sex becomes compulsive, it may even be classified as asex addiction. While the classification is still considered controversial, a person is said to have an addiction when he or she spends inordinate amounts of time in sexual-related activity to the point where important social, occupational, or recreational activities are neglected.
Characteristics of sex addiction may include:Anonymous sex with multiple partnersCompulsive masturbationCompulsive sex with sex workersFrequent patronizing of sexually-oriented establishmentsHabitual exhibitionismHabitual voyeurismInappropriate sexual touchingMultiple affairs outside a committed relationship
Characteristics of sex addiction may include:
Anonymous sex with multiple partnersCompulsive masturbationCompulsive sex with sex workersFrequent patronizing of sexually-oriented establishmentsHabitual exhibitionismHabitual voyeurismInappropriate sexual touchingMultiple affairs outside a committed relationship
While hypersexuality and sex addiction are not inherent facets of bipolar mania, it is important to recognize the signs.
Not only might these behaviors hurt otherwise stable relationships, but they can also place the individual at increased risk of sexually transmitted infections and other harms. As such, finding the right combination of medications to control mania is considered essential to keeping hypersexuality from becoming destructive.
Impact of Depression on Sexual Function
Depression can kill the sex drive. And it’s not just the mood disorder itself that contributes to this; the very drugs used to treat depression can stifle libido and a person’s ability to sexually function.
Bipolar disorder can challenge sexual relationships in a number of distinct ways:
A lack of sexual interest is only one of the possible consequences of bipolar depression. In some cases, a person will behave in just the opposite manner, exhibit symptoms of hypersexuality as a means to compensate for these negative feelings.
While treating bipolar depression must always remain the primary focus, it doesn’t necessarily have to be the detriment of one’s libido. There are ways to manage the sexual side effects of bipolar drugs without compromising treatment.
By and large, SSRIs have not been found to be particularly effective for bipolar disorder. Mood stabilizers likelithium,Depakote (valproic acid), andLamictal (lamotrigine)are considered more effective and typically have fewer sexual side effects.
3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Heare MR, Barsky M, Faziola LR.A Case of Mania Presenting with Hypersexual Behavior and Gender Dysphoria that Resolved with Valproic Acid.Ment Illn.2016;8(2):6546. doi:10.4081/mi.2016.6546Kafka MP.Hypersexual disorder: A proposed diagnosis for DSM-V.Arch Sex Behav.2010;39(2):377-400. doi:10.1007/s10508-009-9574-7Bella AJ, Shamloul R.Psychotropics and sexual dysfunction.Cent European J Urol.2014;66(4):466-471. doi:10.5173/ceju.2013.04.art22
3 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Heare MR, Barsky M, Faziola LR.A Case of Mania Presenting with Hypersexual Behavior and Gender Dysphoria that Resolved with Valproic Acid.Ment Illn.2016;8(2):6546. doi:10.4081/mi.2016.6546Kafka MP.Hypersexual disorder: A proposed diagnosis for DSM-V.Arch Sex Behav.2010;39(2):377-400. doi:10.1007/s10508-009-9574-7Bella AJ, Shamloul R.Psychotropics and sexual dysfunction.Cent European J Urol.2014;66(4):466-471. doi:10.5173/ceju.2013.04.art22
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Heare MR, Barsky M, Faziola LR.A Case of Mania Presenting with Hypersexual Behavior and Gender Dysphoria that Resolved with Valproic Acid.Ment Illn.2016;8(2):6546. doi:10.4081/mi.2016.6546Kafka MP.Hypersexual disorder: A proposed diagnosis for DSM-V.Arch Sex Behav.2010;39(2):377-400. doi:10.1007/s10508-009-9574-7Bella AJ, Shamloul R.Psychotropics and sexual dysfunction.Cent European J Urol.2014;66(4):466-471. doi:10.5173/ceju.2013.04.art22
Heare MR, Barsky M, Faziola LR.A Case of Mania Presenting with Hypersexual Behavior and Gender Dysphoria that Resolved with Valproic Acid.Ment Illn.2016;8(2):6546. doi:10.4081/mi.2016.6546
Kafka MP.Hypersexual disorder: A proposed diagnosis for DSM-V.Arch Sex Behav.2010;39(2):377-400. doi:10.1007/s10508-009-9574-7
Bella AJ, Shamloul R.Psychotropics and sexual dysfunction.Cent European J Urol.2014;66(4):466-471. doi:10.5173/ceju.2013.04.art22
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