If I have bipolar disorder, what is my risk of becoming suicidal?

It is not uncommon for people with Bipolar Disorder to become suicidal. People with Bipolar Disorder have about a 1 in 5 chance of completing suicide, and their risk for suicide is more than 20 times that of the general population. For those with Bipolar Disorder, a lifetime battle with substance abuse is a significant predictor of suicide attempts. Those with Bipolar Disorder and comorbid substance abuse disorders have a higher rate of attempted suicide than those without comorbid substance abuse disorders.

Studies have shown that people with bipolar disorder are about twice as likely to attempt suicide as those with unipolar depression and six times more likely to attempt suicide than those with other psychiatric disorders. Suicidal thoughts and attempts usually occur during depressed and mixed symptom phases. Suicide rates are also higher for those with bipolar II as opposed to bipolar I due to the reality of there being stronger prevalence of depressive episodes in bipolar II than bipolar I.