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.
Bipolar disorder affects multiple structures in the brain, as well as the organ's function. Experts believe that bipolar disorder is associated with the smaller size of certain regions of the brain and with changes in the brain's chemicals. It can also cause changes in thinking and hallucinations.
There is no cure for BD but psychotherapy and prescription medication such as antipsychotics, mood stabilizers and benzodiazepines may alleviate symptoms. The brain of bipolar patients shows changes such as reduction in volume and neuroprogression.
Although bipolar disorder does not directly affect the bones and muscles, depressive episodes can have an impact on your skeletal and muscular systems. Depression can cause unexpected aches and pains, making it difficult to carry out daily activities. Due to your discomfort, you may find it difficult to exercise.
Research has shown that bipolar disorder may cause changes to our gray matter, which controls functions related to our movement, emotions, and more. Untreated bipolar disorder may damage gray matter over time, which can potentially cause health complications later in life.
The risk of developing dementia is much higher among people who've had bipolar disorder, according to several studies. A 2020 analysis determined that people with bipolar disorder are about three times more likely to develop dementia, while another expansive analysis also found a significantly increased risk.
Eating disorders, anxiety disorders and alcohol problems are also more common in those with bipolar disorder, as is metabolic syndrome. More people with bipolar disorder have a history of childhood trauma than those without the condition. It is associated with changes in self-control and attention.
The life expectancy for someone with bipolar disorder is approximately 67 years old. A 2021 study researched the effect of bipolar disorder on longevity and found that: risk of death is 2.6 times greater than the general population. the average life span is between 8–12 years shorter than the general population.
Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness that causes unusual shifts in mood, ranging from extreme highs (mania) to lows (depression).
What's more, many people with bipolar disorder report memory loss and or difficulty remembering things. These individuals may have trouble with short and long-term memory, struggle to think things through at a quick speed, and have difficulty thinking outside of the so-called box.
Bipolar may worsen with age or over time if this condition is left untreated. As time goes on, a person may experience episodes that are more severe and more frequent than when symptoms first appeared.
“Untreated bipolar disorder can worsen with age, with both the frequency of mood episodes and their duration,” says Thomas Scary, MD, MA, staff psychiatrist, Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates in Philadelphia. “This is true even with treatment, but to a lesser extent.”
MRIs and CT scans can provide detailed images of the brain and its structures. But currently, doctors don't use them to diagnose bipolar disorder. Detecting bipolar disorder is typically done through a diagnostic interview with a mental health professional.
The list of causes may surprise you: Men and women suffering from bipolar disorder had a higher risk of death from heart disease, diabetes, COPD, influenza and pneumonia, and women were more likely to die from cancer. The risk of suicide in patients with bipolar was also up to 10 times greater.
Such overlaps occur in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, sometimes making it difficult to differentiate between the two. However, these conditions are distinct from one another, and they do not always co-occur. While bipolar disorder cannot develop into schizophrenia, it's possible to experience symptoms of both.
Bipolar disorder primarily affects the brain, which is part of your central nervous system. Composed of both the brain and the spine, your central nervous system is made up of a series of nerves that are in control of different body activities. Bipolar disorder can also make it difficult to concentrate.
A stressful circumstance or situation often triggers the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Examples of stressful triggers include: the breakdown of a relationship. physical, sexual or emotional abuse.
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 patients tend to have gray matter reductions in frontal brain regions involved in self-control (orange colors), while sensory and visual regions are normal (gray colors).
Both the ADA and SSA consider bipolar disorder a disability. That qualifies you to get extra protection and benefits under the law. To start the process, talk with your doctor. You will need documents to prove to the government that bipolar disorder affects your ability to work.
Does bipolar disorder affect intelligence? No, bipolar disorder doesn't seem to impact your intelligence, but it can affect some aspects of your cognition. As the table above explains, there's a difference between cognition and intelligence. They're related, though.
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.
Bipolar I disorder is the most severe form of the illness. Bipolar II disorder is characterized by predominantly depressive episodes accompanied by occasional hypomanic episodes. Hypomanic episodes are milder than manic episodes but can still impair functioning.
Serious mental illness includes schizophrenia; the subset of major depression called “severe, major depression”; the subset of bipolar disorder classified as “severe” and a few other disorders. Therefore total “severe” mental illness in adults by diagnosis: 5.3% of the population without accounting for overlap.
In many cases, it can help reduce symptoms of bipolar disorder, as well as lessen the increased risk of certain health conditions associated with bipolar disorder. For people with bipolar disorder, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America recommends working out for 30 minutes, 3 to 5 days per week.