Bipolar Disorder Can Cause Hypersex, Here's How to Overcome It...
Hypersex can be cured, but it can recur at a later date. (Shutterstock/Aquarius Studio)
- Did you know that bipolar disorder can cause sufferers to experience hypersex?
Hypersex is a condition where the mind continues to obsess over sexual matters so that we cannot control our libido.
One of the main symptoms people with bipolar experience experience are extreme mood swings.
From a feeling of joy, energy, can turn into a feeling of sadness and despair.
Moments when people with bipolar disorder feel happy and energetic are known as manic episodes.
Meanwhile, during periods of depression, low energy and helplessness, it is known as a depressive episode.
Well, sexual sufferers usually experience hypersex when they are in the manic phase.
In fact, hypersexual behavior is also a sign of a manic episode.
Hypersex in bipolar patients
Hypersex can appear as a sign of bipolar disorder or it can appear on its own.
Hypersex can make it difficult for sufferers to control their sexual desires.
This can negatively impact work, health, relationships, and other aspects of life.
Even if an increased interest in sex doesn't cause problems, if the condition is accompanied by symptoms of bipolar mania – such as impulsivity, risk-taking and poor judgment – then it can have dangerous negative effects.
Adele C. Viguera, a psychiatrist from Cleveland Clinic, said that hypersex is part of the symptoms of hypomania or mania.
Mania is one of the two main episodes that a person with bipolar disorder may experience, whereas hypomania is a milder form of mania.
"Hypersexuality can be one of the hallmark symptoms of both," says Viguera.
People with bipolar disorder who experience hypersexuality are also prone to experiencing the following:
Having multiple sex partners
Thinking about sex constantly
Desperate to do a one night stand
Very interested in pornography.
Apart from the above, they can also be reckless in other reckless ways, such as driving too fast or gambling.
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How to solve it?
Hypersexuality in bipolar patients is not a condition that requires separate treatment.
Once the condition is successfully treated and the mood swings and symptoms are under control, the hypersexual feelings should go away.
"When bipolar disorder is not treated effectively, hypersex can often lead to serious and negative consequences," says Viguera.
"Treating bipolar symptoms and controlling hypomania and mania often also targets and helps hypersexuality," adds Viguera.
According to Viguera, overcoming hypersex in bipolar patients usually requires mood stabilizers or antipsychotics, as well as psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy.
Once the disease is under control, people with bipolar disorder often react differently to sex and to their past behavior.
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Gangguan Bipolar Bisa Sebabkan Hiperseks, Begini Mengatasinya...
Hiperseks bisa sembuh, namun bisa kambuh lagi di kemudian hari.(Shutterstock/Aquarius Studio)
- Tahukah Anda bahwa gangguan bipolar bisa menyebaban penderitanya mengalami hiperseks?
Hiperseks adalah kondisi dimana pikiran terus terobsesi pada hal-hal berbau seksual sehingga kita tidak bisa menahan libido.
Salah satu gejala utama yang dialami penderita bipolar adalah perubahan suasana hati yang ekstrem.
Dari perasaan gembira, energik, bisa berubah menjadi perasaan sedih dan putus asa.
Momen saat penderita bipolar merasa gembira dan energik dikenal dengan istilah episode manik.
Sedangkan saat masa depresi, energi rendah, dan tak berdaya, dikenal dengan episode depresi.
Nah, hiperseks biasanya dialami penderita seksual saat mereka berada di fase manik.
Bahkan, perilaku hiperseks juga menjadi tanda terjadinya episode manik.
Hiperseks pada pasien bipolar
Hiperseks bisa muncul sebagai tanda gangguan bipolar atau muncul dengan sendirinya.
Hiperseks bisa membuat penderitanya sulit mengendalikan hasrat seksualnya.
Hal ini bisa berdampak negatif pada pekerjaan, kesehatan, hubungan, dan aspek kehidupan lainnya.
Meskipun peningkatan minat terhadap seks tidak menimbulkan masalah, namun jika kondisi tersebut disertai dengan gejala mania bipolar – seperti impulsif, pengambilan risiko, dan penilaian yang buruk – maka hal itu bisa menimbulkan dampak negatif yang berbahaya.
Adele C. Viguera psikiater dari Cleveland Clinic mengatakan bahwa hiperseks merupakan bagian dari gejala hipomania atau mania.
Mania adalah salah satu dari dua episode utama yang mungkin dialami oleh seseorang dengan gangguan bipolar, sedangkan hipomania adalah bentuk mania yang lebih ringan.
“Hiperseksualitas bisa menjadi salah satu gejala khas keduanya,” kata Viguera.
Orang dengan gangguan bipolar yang mengalami hiperseksualitas juga rentan mengalami hal berikut:
Memiliki banyak pasangan seks
Memikirkan tentang seks terus-menerus
Nekat melakukan one night stand
Sangat tertarik dengan pornografi.
Selain hal diatas, mereka juga bisa nekat melakukan sembrono lainnya, seperti mengemudi terlalu cepat atau berjudi.
Bagaimana mengatasinya?
Hiperseksualitas pada pasien bipolar bukanlah suatu kondisi yang memerlukan penanganan tersendiri.
Setelah kondisi ini berhasil diobati dan perubahan suasana hati serta gejalanya terkendali, perasaan hiperseks tersebut akan hilang.
“Ketika gangguan bipolar tidak ditangani secara efektif, hiperseks sering kali menyebabkan konsekuensi yang serius dan negatif," ucap Viguera.
"Mengobati gejala bipolar dan mengendalikan hipomania dan mania sering kali juga menargetkan dan membantu hiperseks,” tambah Viguera.
Menurut Viguera, mengatasi kondisi hiperseks pada pasien bipolar biasanya membutuhkan obat penstabil suasana hati atau antipsikotik, serta psikoterapis, seperti terapi perilaku kognitif.
Setelah penyakitnya terkendali, penderita gangguan bipolar sering kali bereaksi berbeda terhadap seks dan perilaku mereka di masa lalu.
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