Treatment of aggression in patients with bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder is generally viewed as a disturbance of mood. However, prominent aspects of behavior that occur during depressive and manic states of bipolar disorder, including psychosis, aggression, and anxiety, are not specific to mood syndromes and occur across many psychiatric states. Severe hyperarousal--beyond that usually associated with classic manic or depressive episodes--could result in a variety of behavioral or symptomatic disturbances including aggression, impulsivity, and anxiety. Since aggression is a well-recognized aspect of mood syndromes, the management of aggression is likely to be an important component of managing bipolar disorder.