Lack of empathy bipolar
Bipolar Disorder and Its Effect on Empathy
Written by Emily Delzell
In this Article
- How Bipolar Disorder Affects Empathy
- Bipolar Medications and Empathy
- Tips to Build Empathy
Bipolar disorder is a mental illness marked by extreme swings in your mood, energy, and thinking. Although it’s not an official symptom of bipolar disorder, some research suggests that it also may affect your empathy, an emotional skill needed to recognize and to understand another person’s feelings.
Researchers think this brain disorder may both hinder and enhance your ability to tune into and share the emotions of those around you. But studies have been small and few, and their findings don’t always agree.
Still, researchers have theories about the ways that bipolar disorder can color your empathy.
How Bipolar Disorder Affects Empathy
Your capacity for empathy may depend on the mood shifts that are the hallmark of your condition. You may react differently when you’re in an up, or manic, period, than when you’re in a depressed phase.
Reading facial expressions. Bipolar disorder may make it more difficult for you to interpret people’s emotions. Missed clues make it harder for you to empathize when others feel happy or sad. If someone is feeling troubled, you may lack enough empathy to be moved to help.
Spotting negative emotions. When you’re manic, you may perceive someone’s sadness or anger as something positive, like excitement. This could lead you to react inappropriately.
Faulty perception. When your mood is high, you may feel overly connected to others in social situations. That may cause you to overestimate their enthusiasm or other positive emotions than they actually feel. On the flip side, when you’re in a depressed phase, you may read facial and other cues as more negative than may be the case.
Self-focus. Some research shows that when you’re depressed, other people’s distress may lead you to direct empathy inward instead of toward the other person.
So you focus on your own sadness instead of comforting others.
Bipolar Medications and Empathy
Certain bipolar drugs may increase your empathy. In one study, people with bipolar disorder who were taking antipsychotics, antidepressants, and mood stabilizers for treatment better related with the pain of others.
That wasn’t true of antianxiety medication. The researchers think this may be because these drugs work in part by suppressing your emotions.
Tips to Build Empathy
This ability is one of the key ways you connect with others and forge close relationships. Practices that focus on building empathy may help you gain this skill.
Listen actively. Ask those you want to connect with to share their thoughts. Then repeat what you heard in your own words to show that you understand how they feel. Ask questions. Face them, make eye contact, and nod to show your interest.
Think of what you have in common with others. Pick someone whose life or personality is far different than your own.
Then list the traits and things that you have in common.
Meditate. Loving-kindness meditation, which helps you grow concern for others, can increase empathy.
Believe that you can learn empathy. This may help you try harder to listen to and to empathize with others.
Bipolar Disorder and Lack of Empathy: What the Research Says
Most of us have our ups and downs. They’re part of life. People with bipolar disorder — also known as manic depression — experience highs and lows that are extreme enough to interfere with their personal relationships, work, and daily activities.
The cause of bipolar disorder is unknown. Experts believe that genetics and a neurotransmitter imbalance offer strong clues.
Manic episodes are the “ups” or “highs” of bipolar disorder. Depressive episodes can be described as the “lows.”
Each person experiences bipolar disorder differently. For many, depression is the dominant symptom. A person may also experience highs without significant depressive symptoms, though this is less common.
Others may have a combination of manic and depressive symptoms.
Some research also suggests that people with bipolar disorder may feel less empathy than people without the condition. Keep reading to learn more.
Did you know?According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 45 million people globally have bipolar disorder.
Empathy is the ability to understand and share another person’s feelings. It’s a heartfelt combination of feeling another person’s pain and walking in their shoes. Psychologists often refer to two types of empathy: affective and cognitive.
Affective empathy is the ability to feel or share another person’s emotions. It’s sometimes called emotional empathy or primitive empathy.
Cognitive empathy is the ability to recognize and understand another person’s emotions and perspective.
In a 2012 study, people with psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia and depression and people without psychiatric disorders reported on their experiences with empathy.
The participants with bipolar disorder reported experiencing less empathy and concern for others than the participants without psychiatric disorders.
The participants were then tested on their empathy after a series of tasks, like reading about real-life situations and imagining how they’d feel if they were in those situations. During the test, the participants with bipolar disorder experienced more empathy than indicated by their self-reporting.
In a 2017 study, 53 study participants looked at neutral images and images of people in physical pain (for instance, with one of their hands caught in a door). The study participants were then asked to assess how much pain the people in the images were in and which sides of their bodies were affected. Researchers used electroencephalograms (EEGs) to track their brain activity.
According to the EEG results, there was less neural evidence of empathy and emotional arousal in participants with bipolar disorder. Participants with bipolar disorder were slower to react than participants without bipolar disorder.
When asked to assess themselves, participants with bipolar disorder were also more likely to report that they did not feel as much concern for others.
The researchers also found that the more severe mania a person was experiencing, the less likely they were to feel empathy.
On the other hand, a 2020 literature review found that people experiencing manic episodes of bipolar disorder showed greater affective empathy than people experiencing depressive episodes and people without bipolar disorder.
The 2020 literature review also found that both manic episodes and depressive episodes of bipolar disorder were associated with reduced cognitive empathy.
In the 2012 study mentioned earlier, participants were also asked to look at pictures depicting neutral situations and situations where people were expressing basic emotions. Each picture included two people, one of whom was wearing a mask. The study participants were then shown three facial expressions and told to choose the most appropriate expression for the person wearing the mask.
The researchers concluded that the participants with bipolar disorder had difficulty recognizing emotional cues in others.
In a different 2012 study, people with bipolar disorder had difficulty recognizing and responding to facial expressions associated with specific emotions. They also had difficulty understanding the emotions they might feel in given situations.
In the 2017 study mentioned earlier, people with bipolar disorder were less capable of taking on other people’s perspectives, based on their scores on a widely used empathy test.
Bipolar disorder can have a variety of other effects on your mental or physical health.
Common symptoms of mania include:
- high energy and restlessness
- less need for sleep
- excessive, racing thoughts and speech
- difficulty concentrating and staying on task
- grandiosity or self-importance
- impulsiveness
- irritability or impatience
Common symptoms of depressive episodes include:
- persistent sadness
- lack of energy or sluggishness
- trouble sleeping
- difficulty concentrating
- feelings of hopelessness
- loss of interest in normal activities
More research is needed on the effect of bipolar disorder on empathy.
Most studies looking at the effect of bipolar disorder on empathy have relied on a small number of participants. That makes it difficult to come to any definitive conclusions. Research results are sometimes conflicting as well.
In addition, research from 2019 suggests that antidepressants, not depression itself, may be responsible for reduced empathy, at least in people with major depressive disorder.
If you have bipolar disorder or someone you care about has it, seek help from a mental health professional. They can help address any concerns about reduced empathy or other effects.
Q:
What can I do to become more empathetic?
A Healthline reader
A:
- Set a goal to become more curious about other people, particularly those who are different than you in some way(s). Within this curiosity, be mindful of your active listening skills and even your nonverbal communication such as body language and facial expressions.
- Seek out situations and conversations in which you may be interacting with those who have different viewpoints than you possess. During these conversations, truly listen, rather than listening while focusing on developing a reaction or rebuttal.
- Exploring volunteer opportunities and expanding your world by learning about different cultures and the experiences of others may lead you to imagine yourself in someone else’s position in life.
- Lastly, read as much as you can! Getting lost in a book allows the imagination to ripen.
Kendra Kubala, PsyDAnswers represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice.
Can Bipolar Disorder Cause Lack of Empathy?
Most of us have our ups and downs. They are part of life. People with bipolar disorder, also known as manic depressive disorder, experience ups and downs that are extreme enough to interfere with their personal relationships, work, and daily activities.
The cause of bipolar disorder is unknown. Experts believe that genetics and neurotransmitter imbalances offer strong clues.
Manic episodes are the "ups" or "highs" of bipolar disorder. Depressive episodes can be described as "falls".
Each person experiences bipolar disorder differently. For many, depression is the dominant symptom. A person can also experience highs without significant depressive symptoms, although this is less common. Others may have a combination of manic and depressive symptoms.
Some studies also show that people with bipolar disorder may experience less empathy than people without the disorder. Keep reading to find out more.
Do you know?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 45 million people worldwide have bipolar disorder.
What is empathy?
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. It is a heartfelt combination of feeling another person's pain and walking in their shoes.
Psychologists often refer to two types of empathy: affective and cognitive.
Affective empathy is the ability to feel or share the emotions of another person. This is sometimes referred to as emotional empathy or primitive empathy.
Cognitive empathy is the ability to recognize and understand the emotions and point of view of another person.
What research says about affective empathy
In a 2012 study, people with mental disorders such as schizophrenia and depression and people without mental disorders reported their experiences with empathy. Participants with bipolar disorder reported experiencing less empathy and concern for others than participants without psychiatric disorders.
Participants were then tested for empathy after a series of tasks, such as reading about real life situations and imagining how they would feel if they were in such situations. During the test, participants with bipolar disorder experienced more empathy than indicated in their self-reports.
In a 2017 study, 53 study participants looked at neutral images and images of people in physical pain (for example, one hand stuck in a door). The study participants were then asked to rate how much the people in the images were in pain and which sides of their bodies were affected. The researchers used electroencephalograms (EEGs) to track their brain activity.
EEG results showed that participants with bipolar disorder had fewer neural signs of empathy and emotional arousal. Participants with bipolar disorder responded more slowly than participants without bipolar disorder.
When asked to rate themselves, participants with bipolar disorder were also more likely to report that they did not care as much about others.
Researchers have also found that the more severe the mania a person experiences, the less likely they are to feel empathy.
On the other hand, a 2020 literature review found that people experiencing manic episodes of bipolar disorder exhibit greater affective empathy than people experiencing depressive episodes and people without bipolar disorder.
What research says about cognitive empathy
A 2020 review of the literature also found that both manic and depressive episodes of bipolar disorder were associated with decreased cognitive empathy.
In the 2012 study mentioned earlier, participants were also asked to look at pictures depicting neutral situations and situations in which people expressed basic emotions. There were two people in each picture, one of whom was wearing a mask. The study participants were then shown three facial expressions and asked to choose the most appropriate expression for the masked person.
Researchers concluded that participants with bipolar disorder had difficulty recognizing the emotional cues of others.
In another 2012 study, people with bipolar disorder had difficulty recognizing and responding to facial expressions associated with certain emotions. They also found it difficult to understand the emotions they might experience in certain situations.
In the 2017 study As mentioned earlier, people with bipolar disorder were less able to perceive other people's points of view, as measured by their scores on a widely used test of empathy.
Other symptoms of bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder can have many other consequences for your mental or physical health.
General symptoms of mania include:
- High energy and anxiety
- Less need for a dream
- Excessive thoughts and speech
- Difficulties with concentration and deduction on the task
- Grandity or conceit
- impulsive
- irritability or incispension or unclusion
General symptoms of depressive episodes include:
- Constant sadness
- Lack of energy or lethargy
- Problems with a dream
- The complexity of concentration
- Feelings of interest
Conclusion are necessary for empathy.
Most of the studies on the effects of bipolar disorder on empathy have included small numbers of participants. This makes it difficult to draw any definitive conclusions. Research results are also sometimes contradictory.
In addition, research from 2019 suggests that antidepressants, rather than depression itself, may be responsible for decreased empathy, at least in people with major depressive disorder.
If you have bipolar disorder or someone you care about has it, seek help from a mental health professional. They can help address any concerns about decreased empathy or other effects.
Q&A: how to become more empathetic
Q:
What can I do to be more empathetic?
Drink Reader
A:
- Set a goal to become more curious about other people, especially those who are different from you. As part of this curiosity, be mindful of your active listening skills and even your non-verbal communication such as body language and facial expressions.
- Look for situations and conversations in which you can interact with those who have a different point of view than you. During these conversations, really listen, rather than listening, focusing on developing a reaction or rebuttal.
- As you explore volunteer opportunities and expand your world by learning about different cultures and the experiences of others, you may imagine yourself in someone else's place in life.
- Finally, read as much as possible! Immersion in a book allows the imagination to mature.
Kendra Kubala, PsyD The answers represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice.
Bipolar Disorder and Lack of Empathy: Knowing the Facts
Overview
Most of us have our ups and downs. This is part of life. But people with bipolar disorder experience high and low lows that are strong enough to interfere with personal relationships, work, and daily activities.
Bipolar disorder, also called manic depression, is a mental disorder. The reason is unknown. Scientists believe that genetics and imbalances in the neurotransmitters that carry signals between brain cells provide strong clues.
According to the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, nearly 6 million American adults have bipolar disorder.
Mania and depression
There are different types of bipolar disorder and subtle variations of each type. Each type has two components: mania or hypomania, and depression.
Mania
Manic episodes are the "highs" or "highs" of bipolar depression. Some people may enjoy the euphoria that can come with mania. Mania, however, can lead to risky behavior. These may include draining your savings account, drinking too much, or telling the owner.
General symptoms of mania include:
- high energy and restlessness
- reduced need for sleep
- excessive racing thoughts and speech
- difficulty concentrating and staying on task
- grandiosity or self-esteem
- impulsivity
- irritability or impatience
Depression
Depressive episodes can be described as the "minimals" of bipolar disorder.
Common symptoms of depressive episodes include:
- persistent sadness
- lack of energy or lethargy
- sleep problem
- loss of interest in normal activities
- concentration concentration > feelings of hopelessness
- anxiety or anxiety
- suicidal thoughts
- Each person experiences bipolar disorder differently. For many people, depression is the dominant symptom. A person can also experience high levels without depression, although this is less common. Others may have a combination of depressive and manic symptoms.
What is empathy?
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. It's a hearty combination of "walking in someone else's shoes" and "feeling hurt." “Psychologists often refer to two types of empathy: affective and cognitive.
Affective empathy is the ability to feel or share the emotions of another person. It is sometimes called emotional empathy or primitive empathy.
Cognitive empathy is the ability to recognize and understand another person's point of view and emotions.
In a 2008 study looking at MRI images of people's brains, emotional empathy seemed to affect the brain differently from cognitive empathy. Affective empathy activated the emotional processing areas of the brain. Cognitive empathy activated the area of the brain associated with executive function, or thought, reasoning, and decision making.
What the Study Says
Most studies on the effects of bipolar disorder on empathy have been based on small numbers of participants. This makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions. Research results are sometimes also contradictory. However, existing research does provide some insight into the disorder.
There is some evidence that people with bipolar disorder may have difficulty with emotional empathy. Cognitive empathy appears to be less affected by bipolar disorder than emotional empathy. More research is needed on the impact of mood symptoms on empathy.
Journal of Psychiatric Research Research
In one study, people with bipolar disorder had difficulty recognizing and responding to facial expressions associated with certain emotions. They also had difficulty understanding the emotions they might be experiencing in these situations. These are both examples of emotional empathy.
Schizophrenia Research
In another study, a group of participants reported their experiences with empathy. Participants with bipolar disorder have been reported to experience less empathy and anxiety. Participants were then tested on their empathy through a series of empathy-related tasks. In the test, participants experienced more empathy than their self-reporting indicated. People with bipolar disorder had difficulty recognizing emotional cues in others. This is an example of emotional empathy.
Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience Study Study
A study published in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience found that people with bipolar disorder experience severe personal distress in response to stressful interpersonal situations.
