I am sure there are those using the insanity plea who were actually legally insane when they committed their illegal acts against another. However, here is the other side of the question as it relates to BP,

I know of one with BP that was acquitted in court of the legal consequences of his behavior due to mental illness, Later, durinf a heated exchange between him and another driver, he took a stick and smashed the other guy"s car window. His wife asked him why he did it, He said it was his “bipolar”, Apparently the charge that he got off from emboldened him to do other acts. It makes me wonder how much in control he was during the first incident.

We all have impulses and overwhelming desires when manic, I wonder how much effort we put into keep from acting on them, Instead, do some of us let it happen because it is pleasurable, irregardless of the consequence, which are then much easier to ignore? I wonder how much this relates to the insanity defense that people with BP use.

As a side note, when I was married, I was in a terrible relationship with my wife. One day I was hypersexual, It was very very tempting to pursue sexual pleasure with someone else. It was difficult, but I did not, I could of easily cheated on my wife, and have a ready made excuse to myself.