How Often Is ADHD Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder?

I have Bipolar Disorder II and ADHD.

ADHD was evident when I was a young child. I was always bouncing off of the walls. It was always said that I was “just a hyperactive child,” but that was the 80s when a child that talked too much and too fast and couldn’t sit still and focus was simply called “hyper.” Hyper kids were punished back then because it was seen as misbehaving.

I also had an obsession with textures. I couldn’t keep my hands off of anything, including the pantyhose of women in church. I’d crawl under the pews and touch that wonderful texture, which would startle the woman that owned them. The ladies thought it was funny, but I'm pretty sure my mom was embarrassed.

Later in my life, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. According to ScienceDirect’s Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (May 2021, Volume 124, pgs 100–123), 1 in 13 adults with ADHD is diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

That’s not a small number.

The same study determined that 1 in 6 adults with bipolar disorder is diagnosed with comorbid ADHD.

Why Do Bipolar and ADHD Occur Together?

There isn’t a clear picture as to why these conditions sometimes co-exist. Shared biological and genetic factors tend to be the go-tos when exploring the association.

In a 2015 study, researchers pulled data from 13,532 twins to see how strong the genetic association between mania and ADHD symptoms was. The result was 25% to 42% showing a connection. This proved that genetic factors are at work to some degree.

The Future for People with Comorbid ADHD and Bipolar Disorder

There’s still a lot of information to be gathered so that the coexistence of ADHD and Bipolar disorder can be understood. It has been said that it might be best to treat the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder first. That is what my psychiatrist did. Once Many of my Bipolar disorder symptoms were under control, we focused on the ADHD symptoms.

It was an interesting feeling when one set of symptoms was under control so that the other set could be isolated and recognized. Before treatment, it was all a jumbled mess. I couldn't tell up from down or left from right when it came to my symptoms. After I started treatment for bipolar disorder, I was able to tell which symptoms were bipolar and which ones were ADHD and it was very surreal.

It was important to distinguish between the two because a lot of times, bipolar disorder and ADHD can be mistaken for each other. treating bipolar allowed us to see that I definitely have ADHD as suspected.

That's when I was prescribed Wellbutrin off-label for ADHD in addition to the Lamictal I take for Bipolar II. There are still studies that need to be done on the effectiveness of Wellbutrin for ADHD, but my symptoms improved. My psychiatrist was afraid to give me a stimulant due to the potential of it turning my hypomania into mania. I'm so glad that it was tackled in this way.

I have to say that my psychiatric NP was the greatest when it come to my diagnosis and my psychiatrist provided me with many tools to help me when my symptoms rarely supersede my medication. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is highly effective and it's good to have a workbook handy that can be followed when learning good coping techniques.

My Psychiatrist provided me with a copy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in 7 weeks. I highly recommend this book because you can notate and work through things one-by-one.

All in all, it comes down to having a good psychiatrist that takes their time diagnosing you and determining the best treatment protocol. What works for me might not work for you, but there is hope out there for the 1 in 13 and the 1 in 6 in finding relief from these chaotic symptoms.