Smokers who suffer from bi-polar disorder might have an increased risk of experiencing suicidal behavior. According to a new study, this could be due to the fact that they are more at risk of acting impulsively.
Better known as manic depression, bipolar disorder causes large changes in mood, from depression to euphoria. It has already been proven that patients with bipolar disorder who smoke are more prone to suicidal thoughts, but the reason has not been known.
New findings show that one of the symptoms of bipolar disorder is impulsivity and that this is what leads to both smoking and suicidal behavior.
Though smoking is not an absolute marker of risk of suicide, this type of information will be used to make patient assessment more comprehensive, suggest researchers.
Though most smokers do not face this type of risk, it goes to show how many aspects a smoking addiction can have and that smokers should be given more of a break…
[Via: ABC News]
