The patient with bipolar disorder may abuse alcohol and psychoactive substances, even if they did not do so before the disease. Many other impulsive activities also appear, the purpose of which is broadly understood as pleasure.
They may also undertake various commitments, take out loans and credits, spend money excessively unusually, and gamble “with collateral.” A patient in mania in bipolar disorder very often has an excessive sense of self-worth and an inadequately or excessively inflated self-esteem; they assess the present and the near future too optimistically.
An interesting phenomenon reported by some patients is a sense of sharpening the senses, giving the impression of a much more intense experience of tastes, colors, and sounds. It may manifest in a change in the patient's external appearance (e.g., the appearance – contrary to previous habits – of bright and excessive make-up, dressing in bright and contrasting colors) and a tendency to listen to loud music or behave loudly and risky.
