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.
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.
Help for Bipolar Disorder
Not only is bipolar disorder caused by trauma sometimes, but it can also occur from a variety of other factors, such as the loss of a loved one, substance abuse, and more.
Bipolar disorder can cause your mood to swing from an extreme high to an extreme low. Manic symptoms can include increased energy, excitement, impulsive behaviour, and agitation. Depressive symptoms can include lack of energy, feeling worthless, low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts.
Answer questions honestly. But don't argue or debate with a person during a manic episode. Avoid intense conversation. Don't take comments or behavior personally.
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.
1. Mariah Carey. Singer, songwriter, actress and producer Mariah Carey has won too many awards to list. The iconic artist opened up in 2018 about her 2001 diagnosis of bipolar disorder, in which she was hospitalized for a physical and mental breakdown.
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 more common in people who have a first-degree relative, such as a sibling or parent, with the condition.
Large MRI-based studies² in people with bipolar disorder have shown a thinning of gray matter in different areas of the brain. The two areas most commonly affected by this gray matter thinning are the frontal and temporal regions.
Bipolar generally does not go away and requires a lifetime of treatment, but you can develop skills to better manage manic and depressive episodes.
Bipolar disorder may worsen with age or over time if the 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.
Since bipolar disorder can cause serious disruptions in a person's daily life and create a stressful family situation, family members may also benefit from professional resources, particularly mental health advocacy and support groups.
Bipolar disorder is a chronic mental illness with the peak age of onset between 20 and 40 years.
Signs of A Bipolar Meltdown
A burst of energy. Feeling irritable. Extremely happy and euphoric mood. Speaking fast.
Anger and irritability are common symptoms of bipolar disorder. While anger is a normal response that many people feel at moments in their life, a person with bipolar disorder will be more vulnerable to impulsive and often irrational outbursts.
Symptoms of a manic episode may include a heightened sense of self-importance and grandiosity. These also feature in narcissistic disorder. Narcissism is not a symptom of bipolar disorder, and most people with bipolar disorder do not have narcissistic personality disorder.
Cyclothymia, or cyclothymic disorder, causes mood changes – from feeling low to emotional highs. Cyclothymia has many similarities to bipolar disorder.
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 disorder and alcohol use disorder or other types of substance abuse can be a dangerous combination. Each can worsen the symptoms and severity of the other. Having both conditions increases the risk of mood swings, depression, violence and suicide.