Why Can Bipolar Disorder Make Me Mean and Nasty?

Fall 2017

On Holding In Anger With Bipolar Disorder

Feeling tired, stressed and depressed? Can’t concentrate, foggy brain? New studies show that it could be dehydration that’s to blame for your sagging mood:

Water for wellness

Researchers now believe that even mild dehydration will have an effect on your moods. Two studies from the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Connecticut show that it doesn’t take much dehydration (they describe this as 1.5 percent loss in normal water volume in the body) to alter your energy level, mood, and ability to think clearly. Female subjects in one of the studies also perceived tasks as more difficult when slightly dehydrated.

Dehydration, the body and the mind

The University of Connecticut study found that drinking water has a “significant impact” on alleviating depression and helping with concentration. It can also help with sleep disorders. In one of the studies, lead scientist Lawrence E. Armstrong, a professor of physiology in UConn’s Department of Kinesiology found that when dehydrated, the subjects were more cranky and fatigued. Not drinking enough water can also cause headaches, sleepiness, and confusion, said Armstrong.

How much is enough?

First off, waiting until you’re thirsty to hydrate is too late, as our thirst sensation doesn’t appear until we are 1 or 2 percent dehydrated, explained Armstrong. “By then, dehydration is already setting in and starting to impact how our mind and body perform.” So how much should we be drinking? According to the U.D. Institute of Medicine (IOM), women should drink six pints of water per day and men should drink eight pints of water per day. Remember that even if you think you drink enough water, your fluids will be reduced by heat, exercising or drinking too much caffeine.

sources:  education.uconn.edu

Why Can Bipolar Disorder Make Me Mean and Nasty?

Fall 2017