Bipolar disorder can affect every part of a person’s life. The highs of mania and the lows of depression often feel overwhelming, and without proper support, these shifts can make daily responsibilities, relationships, and even self-care difficult to manage.
The good news is that bipolar disorder is treatable, and individuals can live fulfilling lives with the proper plan in place. The risks come when the condition is left unrecognized or untreated. Over time, unmanaged symptoms can worsen, create additional health problems, and make it harder to regain stability.
In this post, we’ll look at what bipolar disorder is, what can happen if it goes untreated, how it often shows up in daily life, and the long-term effects it can have without care.
What is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder is a mental health disorder that causes drastic fluctuations in mood and energy levels. Individuals with bipolar disorder also experience shifts in activity levels, trouble concentrating, and difficulties carrying out daily tasks.
Bipolar disorder consists of two primary mood episodes — manic and depressive. Manic episodes cause people to feel very “up,” energized, excited, and irritable. On the other hand, depressive episodes cause people to feel “down,” indifferent, sad, or hopeless. Some individuals experience less severe manic episodes called hypomanic episodes.
Read next: A Day in the Life of a Person with Bipolar
What Happens if Bipolar Disorder Is Untreated?
Bipolar I and bipolar II are chronic conditions, but with the proper treatment, individuals can manage their symptoms and live fulfilling lives. When it goes untreated, however, the disorder can begin to take over. Symptoms often grow more severe, lead to additional health challenges, and make it harder to maintain daily responsibilities. Over time, the risks can become life-threatening.
Development of Other Mental Health Disorders
Bipolar symptoms overlap with other mental health conditions, and when left untreated, they often give rise to new diagnoses. Anxiety disorders, eating disorders, or even psychosis can develop as the brain and body struggle under the weight of unmanaged symptoms. This adds complexity to treatment and makes recovery more challenging.
Explore: 10 Signs Your Loved One Needs Help
Worsening Relationships With Friends or Family
Relationships can be challenging to navigate even in the best of times, and untreated bipolar disorder makes them even more fragile. Intense emotions, unpredictable behavior, and struggles with communication often cause strain. Loved ones may feel pushed away or confused, leaving the person with bipolar disorder isolated when they need support most.
Employment Difficulties
The highs and lows of bipolar disorder can make consistent employment nearly impossible without treatment. Manic episodes may drive impulsive decisions that damage credibility, while depressive episodes can bring absenteeism and loss of motivation. Over time, this instability can impact self-image, self-esteem, and financial security.
Increased Risk of Substance Use
Many people with untreated bipolar disorder turn to binge drinking or drugs to cope with their symptoms. Substances may provide temporary relief during depressive lows or fuel reckless behavior during manic highs. Unfortunately, this can spiral into addiction, adding another layer of difficulty to recovery.
Suicidal Thoughts or Actions
One of the most serious risks of untreated bipolar disorder is suicide. The combination of extreme mood swings, hopelessness, and impulsivity significantly raises the likelihood of suicidal thoughts or attempts. Without intervention, this risk remains high and can have devastating consequences.
What Does Untreated Bipolar Disorder Look Like?
When bipolar disorder goes untreated, the effects often show up in day-to-day life in ways that feel hard to manage. These aren’t always significant, dramatic episodes at first. Usually, they appear as ongoing struggles with mood, responsibilities, and relationships.
Over time, these daily challenges can pile up, making life feel increasingly unpredictable. Here are some of the most common ways you might notice it showing up:
Frequent + Intense Mood Swings
Bipolar disorder is defined by its shifts in mood, but without treatment, these shifts often become more extreme. Episodes of mania and depression can happen more often, last longer, and be harder to recover from. This instability can leave the individual feeling as though their emotions are out of control.
Examples include:
- Rapid cycling between feeling euphoric and hopeless
- Mood changes that seem to happen without warning
- Longer-lasting episodes that disrupt daily life
Difficulty Maintaining Responsibilities
Daily responsibilities can become overwhelming when bipolar symptoms are unmanaged. During manic periods, it’s common to take on more than can reasonably be handled, only to lose momentum once depression sets in. This back-and-forth makes it hard to maintain consistency at work, in school, or at home.
This might show up as:
- Starting projects but struggling to finish them
- Missing deadlines or important appointments
- Falling behind on bills, chores, or daily routines
Strained Relationships
Relationships are often impacted by untreated bipolar disorder. Mood swings and unpredictable behavior can confuse or frustrate loved ones, creating tension and distance. The result is typically a painful cycle of conflict, followed by feelings of guilt or withdrawal.
It often looks like:
- Arguing more frequently during mood episodes
- Friends pulling away due to unpredictability
- Feeling guilty or ashamed after outbursts or withdrawal
Increased Risky Behaviors
Manic episodes often prompt people to make impulsive decisions that can have lasting consequences. Without treatment, these behaviors may become more frequent or severe, leading to financial, legal, or personal problems that are difficult to undo.
For example:
- Overspending or making reckless financial choices
- Driving dangerously or taking physical risks
- Engaging in unsafe sex or impulsive relationships
Withdrawal + Isolation
Depressive episodes can make even basic social interaction feel impossible. Over time, the habit of pulling away from others can deepen loneliness and worsen depression, creating a cycle that’s hard to break without support.
Individuals dealing with this may:
- Avoid social events or calls from friends
- Spend prolonged periods in bed or alone
- Lose interest in hobbies or activities once enjoyed
Decline in Physical Health
Mental and physical health are closely connected, and untreated bipolar disorder often disrupts both. Irregular sleep, poor eating habits, and the stress of ongoing symptoms can eventually lead to physical health problems on top of the emotional challenges.
Some signs include:
- Irregular sleep patterns during mood episodes
- Weight changes from poor eating habits
- Physical exhaustion from unmanaged stress
Long-Term Effects of Untreated Bipolar Disorder
When bipolar disorder isn’t managed, the consequences extend far beyond mood swings and daily struggles. Over time, untreated symptoms can reshape a person’s health, relationships, and overall quality of life. These long-term effects can make recovery more challenging and also underscore the importance of early intervention and consistent treatment.
Lasting Strain on the Brain + Body
Repeated cycles of mania and depression place heavy stress on the nervous system. Over the years, this ongoing strain can disrupt sleep patterns, heighten sensitivity to stress, and even increase the risk of chronic health conditions like heart disease. The more often episodes occur, the harder it becomes for the brain to regulate emotions effectively, which deepens the cycle of instability.
Impact on Relationships + Support Systems
Untreated bipolar disorder often pushes people into patterns of conflict, withdrawal, or mistrust. Over time, these challenges can erode friendships, romantic relationships, and even family bonds. Without a stable support system, many people feel more isolated — and that isolation often worsens depressive episodes and reinforces feelings of hopelessness.
Financial + Career Setbacks
The instability of untreated bipolar disorder can spill into work and finances. Frequent job changes, missed workdays, or burnout during mood episodes can often lead to long-term career setbacks. Combined with impulsive spending that sometimes accompanies mania, these patterns can lead to severe financial difficulties that are difficult to overcome.
Risk of Co-Occurring Disorders
When bipolar disorder remains untreated for years, the risk of developing other mental and physical health conditions grows. Anxiety, substance use, and stress-related illnesses often build on top of existing symptoms, creating a heavier overall burden. As these co-occurring conditions develop, treatment becomes more complex and recovery takes longer.
Find Stability + Support in Bipolar Disorder Treatment
If you or someone you care about is struggling with bipolar disorder, it’s important to know that help is available. At Clearview Treatment Programs in Los Angeles, we provide comprehensive care designed to stabilize mood, improve daily functioning, and support long-term recovery.
Our team uses evidence-based therapies and individualized treatment plans to help clients manage both the highs of mania and the lows of depression. With the proper support, it’s possible to regain balance, strengthen relationships, and build a healthier future.
To learn more about our bipolar disorder treatment programs and take the first step toward recovery, please call us or reach out to one of our locations today.
