Some experts believe that experiencing a lot of emotional distress as a child can cause bipolar disorder to develop. This could be because childhood trauma and distress can have a big effect on your ability to manage your emotions. This can include experiences like: Neglect.
Childhood traumatic events are risk factors for developing bipolar disorders, in addition to a more severe clinical presentation over time (primarily an earlier age at onset and an increased risk of suicide attempt and substance misuse).
Bipolar disorder often runs in families, and research suggests this is mostly explained by heredity—people with certain genes are more likely to develop bipolar disorder than others. Many genes are involved, and no one gene can cause the disorder. But genes are not the only factor.
The exact cause of bipolar disorder is unknown. Experts believe there are a number of factors that work together to make a person more likely to develop it. These are thought to be a complex mix of physical, environmental and social factors.
It's possible to have both conditions — and many people do. As noted above, evidence suggests that PTSD can increase your chances of developing bipolar disorder, while bipolar disorder could indirectly increase your chances of facing a traumatic experience.
Cyclothymia symptoms alternate between emotional highs and lows. The highs of cyclothymia include symptoms of an elevated mood (hypomanic symptoms). The lows consist of mild or moderate depressive symptoms. Cyclothymia symptoms are similar to those of bipolar I or II disorder, but they're less severe.
People living with bipolar disorder might experience energy moods (mania or hypomania), low-energy moods (depression), or both. PTSD doesn't share key symptoms of mania, which include high energy, heightened self-esteem, and feel rejuvenated even after not getting enough sleep.
Bipolar disorder is frequently inherited, with genetic factors accounting for approximately 80% of the cause of the condition. Bipolar disorder is the most likely psychiatric disorder to be passed down from family. If one parent has bipolar disorder, there's a 10% chance that their child will develop the illness.
Bipolar disorder can occur at any age, although it often develops between the ages of 15 and 19 and rarely develops after 40. Men and women from all backgrounds are equally likely to develop bipolar disorder. The pattern of mood swings in bipolar disorder varies widely between people.
Defects in mitochondrial DNA sequences may contribute to a predisposition to such complex diseases as diabetes and bipolar disorder. Therefore, if all bipolar disorder patients have mitochondrial predisposition genes, then the transition of bipolar disorder from the mother's side would be higher.
Bipolar disorder can occur at any age, although it often develops between the ages of 15 and 19 and rarely develops after 40. Men and women from all backgrounds are equally likely to develop bipolar disorder. The pattern of mood swings in bipolar disorder varies widely.
Research shows bipolar disorder may damage the brain over time. Experts think it's because you slowly lose amino acids. They help build the proteins that make up the insulation around your neurons.
Scientists believe that bipolar disorder is the result of a complicated relationship between genetic and environmental factors. Research suggests that a person is born with a "vulnerability" to bipolar illness, which means that they are more prone to developing the disorder.
People with bipolar experience both episodes of severe depression and episodes of mania – overwhelming joy, excitement or happiness, huge energy, a reduced need for sleep, and reduced inhibitions. The experience of bipolar is uniquely personal. No two people have exactly the same experience.
Bipolar generally does not go away and requires a lifetime of treatment, but you can develop skills to better manage manic and depressive episodes.
The main sign of bipolar disorder is extreme mood swings that go from emotional highs to emotional lows. Manic episodes cause people to seem very energetic, euphoric, or irritable. During depressive episodes, your loved one may seem sad, upset, or tired all the time.
Without proper treatment, people with hypomania may develop severe mania or depression. "Bipolar disorder may also be present in a mixed state, in which you might experience both mania and depression at the same time.
To diagnose bipolar disorder, a doctor performs a physical exam, asks about your symptoms, and recommends blood testing to determine if another condition, such as hypothyroidism, is causing your symptoms. If the doctor does not find an underlying cause of your symptoms, he or she performs a psychological evaluation.
Drugs with a definite propensity to cause manic symptoms include levodopa, corticosteroids and anabolic-androgenic steroids. Antidepressants of the tricyclic and monoamine oxidase inhibitor classes can induce mania in patients with pre-existing bipolar affective disorder.
If You Have Bipolar Disorder and Don't Take Medication
You may experience more severe symptoms: If you don't take medication for bipolar disorder, you may experience more severe symptoms. This can lead to a greater risk of hospitalization or suicide.
C-PTSD, or complex post-traumatic stress disorder, is PTSD that results from repeated trauma. For instance, if you were subjected to abuse at the hand of a parent for years, you may develop C-PTSD as an adult. The trauma and the PTSD may contribute to, trigger, or worsen a mood disorder like bipolar.
If you live with a mood disorder (depression or bipolar disorder), a traumatic event can disrupt your routine and impact your therapy. It may even trigger an episode of mania or a deepening of depression.
Differences. While anxiety can be ongoing, mania will ebb (in people with bipolar disorder II, cyclothymia, or mixed episodes) and is usually followed by an episode of depression. A person with anxiety often dreads the hypothetical worst-case scenario event.