bipolar: great in bed, difficult to live with

Apparently.

Here you go kids, a bipolar sex linkdump.

A period of lewdness and shamelessness exists with the highest type of [manic] delirium. – ARETAEUS OF CAPPADOCIA (c. 30-90 AD)

Bipolar disorder and sex: It’s time to talk about this emotional minefield. We’re often told love is a form of madness – but what if falling in love triggers mania? From improved sleep to alleviating stress – the health benefits of regular sex are now commonly accepted. Now imagine if wanting more sex was a sign that your neurochemistry was out of balance, and your mental health was at risk? That’s the situation faced by thousands of people with bipolar disorder.

The impact of bipolar disorder on sex. For those with bipolar disorder, the mood swings and the complications of treatment far too often push these normal tensions to extreme behavior and dysfunction. Mania often leads to hypersexuality and, for some, sex addictions. Depression and medication side effects can kill libido bringing sex to a grinding halt.

The Whole Bipolar Sex Thing: In evolutionary terms our genetic future is too important to entrust to the thinking parts of the brain. Perhaps we engage in sex with greater intensity than others. Perhaps not. But what seems plausible is that we experience greater subjective feelings of intensity. Whatever is going on, our brains are reacting like photo-sensitive paper to light. This intensity carries over to feelings of attachment. At once, we are euphoric and obsessed and anxious – the kind of feelings “normal” people have when they are in love. But can we truly trust our own feelings? Are we really in love, or is it our brains simply running away on us?

What’s a normal sex life with bipolar? Well now. If I were to tell you about what it’s like to have sex with me it would probably involve more panting, smacking, scratching, screaming, gnawing and clawing than your average person. But that’s me. That’s just how I roll. It’s not necessarily indicative of the bipolar population as a whole. (Natasha Tracy)

Manic people are not embarrassed talking about sex.  It’s the doctors who are… Opening the door on hypersexuality

Bipolar Disorder & Sexual Health: Sexuality can swing back and forth with the mood changes of bipolar disorder, but our sexuality expert offers tips about what you can do to maintain a healthy sex life.

Bipolar Disorder and Sexual Health: things people with bipolar disorder can do to prevent erratic sexual behavior and avoid jeopardizing their relationships.

What’s sex like with bipolar disorder? For people suffering from bipolar disorder, their sexual activity level and overall sexuality can be affected. They often face reduction or loss of sex drive during depressive mood swings, and hypersexuality during manic episodes. This can cause problems with the individual’s self esteem as well as in their intimate relationships.

Screw, spend, sleep: My battle with bipolar disorder. When the mania kicks in, I’m ready to conquer the world — on no sleep. Then comes the crash, and I can barely move

Sexual behavior in women with bipolar disorder. The results of the present study suggest an increase of sexual interest in patients with BD I as compared both with BD II patients and healthy controls.

A very common symptom in maniacal conditions is erotic excitement. This varies from mere coquetry, a somewhat extended application of the command “love one another”, an undue attention to the opposite sex, and so forth, up to the extreme of salacity, when the mind is wholly occupied by the urgent sexual appetite, and all restraint is abandoned. – DANIEL HACK TUKE (1827-1895)