Discussion
The hypersensitive behavioral approach system model of bipolar disorder would predict higher levels of various addictions in bipolar patients as compared to controls, and in this study, we tested this hypothesis by looking at behavioral addictions in addition to the more commonly studied substance addictions. Euthymic bipolar patients did in fact show significantly elevated levels of two benign behavioral addictions (shopping and music) as well as smoking. Bipolar patients’ levels of drug- and alcohol-related addiction were, surprisingly, lower than those reported by healthy controls. We discuss possible explanations for this below.