Which disorders are comorbid with bipolar disorder?
According to Susan McElroy, MD, from the Stanley Network, two-thirds of people with bipolar disorder have at least a second DSM-IV psychiatric disorder. Approximately 50% have a third psychiatric disorder, and approximately 25% have a fourth. Comorbidity is the rule rather than the exception. There is less prevalence of first-episode patients with substance or alcohol abuse than there are multi-episode patients. According to the McLean-Harvard First-Episode Mania Study, the prevalence of drug or alcohol abuse in first-episode mania patients is approximately 33%—much lower than the rate seen in multi-episode patients with bipolar disorder.9 Thus, if bipolar disorder is caught early and treated effectively, the progression to alcohol and substance abuse can likely be prevented. The second most common comorbidity, which is not mutually exclusive from alcohol or drugs, is anxiety. Rates vary for any anxiety disorder. The National Epidemiologic Study on Alcohol-related Conditions (NESARC) s
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