Bipolar Disorder Causes and Risk Factors
It’s not known for sure what bipolar disorder causes are. However, many scientists think that it’s a combination of factors that contributes to a bipolar diagnosis. These risk factors include:
• Biochemistry. According to numerous studies, bipolar disorder people display certain alterations in the brain. It’s not certain whether these changes happen because of the illness or they both result from some unknown condition. Another explanation may be that neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) contribute to the worsening of the condition, yet another theory says hormonal imbalances can be blamed for it. There are a number of other supposed bipolar disorder causes, but they have not received any scientific proof.
• Genetic predisposition. A number of studies showed that the disorder is often found in people whose close relatives also suffered from it. It’s not known what gene causes bipolar disorder, but it is thought it may be related to the gene responsible for schizophrenia.
• Environment. Environmental situation matters a lot, although not too many people think about it. This was demonstrated in several studies of identical twins that share the same genes – one child had bipolar disorder while the other one didn’t. Environmental problems are likely to affect self-esteem and cause a lot of stress. It also seems that the disorder is somehow related to the season: many patients report episodes of depression in winter and frequent cases of mania in summer.
According to statistics, one percent of the US population is suffering from bipolar disorder. It has been also suggested that as many cases are underdiagnosed and there are many variations of the illness, the number can be even higher and reach 6 percent. Many people think their symptoms are not serious and don’t go to the doctor. Some think their bipolar disorder is depression only because the symptoms they are experiencing do not completely coincide with the criteria elaborated for bipolar disorder patients.
While bipolar I disorder affects the same number of males and females, bipolar II disorder affects mostly women. It’s common for the condition to affect people between 15 and 30. Although this bipolar information is yet inconsistent, it’s definitely more than a coincidence.
Here are some bipolar disorder causes and risk factors you should be aware of:
• Family history of bipolar disorder
• High stress
• Alcohol and drug abuse
• Emotional trauma, such as death of a family member
Bipolar disorder people need to be prepared to deal with their disease to prevent it from interfering with their lives. It’s also quite difficult for such people’s families and friends, so they can sometimes seek psychological support to learn how to help their loved one. Although this disease is very serious, there are many methods of treatment that are highly efficient, which means you can carry on with your normal life while dealing with bipolar disorder at the same time.
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