This session reviews how bipolar disorder and substance use disorders (SUDs) interface. We reviewed the epidemiology of SUDs and use of specific substances in patients with bipolar disorder. Then, we discussed why people with bipolar disorder report they use substances. Explored next is the the potential common etiologies between bipolar disorder and SUDs including genetic, socioeconomic, and environmental factors. Finally, we learned how various SUDs might impact the treatment of bipolar disorder in a given individual, and how bipolar disorder might impact the treatment of SUDs.
Stephanie Nichols, PharmD, MPH is an Associate Professor in the University of New England (located in Maine), Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor in the Tufts School of Medicine, core faculty in the Maine Medical Center Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program, and instructor in the Psychiatry Residency Program. As a psychiatric pharmacist, she is passionate about advocating for people with unmet psychiatric and substance use disorder needs. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time in the woods with her partner, Eric, and pups: Sage, Basil, and Penny. She also enjoys yoga, reading, gardening, arboristry, painting, and lighthouses.