• Français
  • English
  • Bipolar disorder

    Autism and bipolar disorder: a dual experience that is common yet largely understudied

    5 to 8% of autistic people are believed to be affected by bipolar disorder, and yet, this association between the two conditions is rarely mentioned in the literature. When you type “autism and bipolar disorder” into Google, finding a personal account can feel like a challenge. A few years ago, I took part in a podcast on this topic, sharing an experience that was almost unique—especially in France. The idea of a blog exploring both subjects in detail slowly began to form a few weeks ago. A few days later, the project was underway.

    Why I’ll Soon Be Writing About Bipolar Disorder on This Autism-Focused Blog

    This blog is not intended to talk only about autism. From the beginning, when the idea for this project emerged, I hoped to provide a rare and in-depth testimony about two of my conditions: autism and bipolar disorder. Why rare? Simply because I noticed how drastically the literature lacks first-person accounts from people living with both conditions, even though this comorbidity is actually quite common — with bipolar disorder being even more frequent among autistic people than allistic individuals. And in-depth, because I intended to share my experience honestly and without filter through a long series of articles detailing what it means to live with both conditions.

    Caught in the rapid cycling of bipolar disorder

    I wrote many of the articles on this blog within just a few days. A month earlier, I had written two books in under two weeks. Before that, in March 2025, I experienced an incredibly stimulating period where I was socializing from morning to night during a ski trip. In January — the same pattern. The common thread? Each time, these were hypomanic episodes that systematically escalated into full manic episodes. After a chaotic and eventful Season 28, Season 29 isn’t starting well: in the September episode, my psychiatrist confirmed that I had entered rapid cycling.