What Are The Causes Of Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar disorder is also referred to as manic depression. It is a mood disorder that causes drastic changes in mood, thinking, behavior and energy. Patients will swing from the lows of depression on one extreme to the highs of mania at the other extreme. It is much more than a fleeting good or bad mood. These mood cycles can last for days or weeks or months. In addition, unlike regular mood swings, this affliction causes mood changes that are extremely intense thus interfering with one's ability to function properly. As a result of an intense swing, family life or work performance will suffer tremendously.

During the highs of mania, a person might make a rash decision such as quit a job, spend huge amounts on their credit cards, or feel rested after just two hours of sleep. During the lows of depression, that same person can feel too tired to wake up. They may also feel full of hopelessness and start self-loathing over being in debt and unemployed.

The causes of bipolar disorder are varied and many. Although the actual cause is unknown, there are several factors that are said to cause and trigger bipolar episodes:

Neurotransmitters: imbalances in chemicals that occur naturally in the brain, also called neurotransmitters, appears to be a trigger of several mood disorders.

Hormonal instability: an imbalance in hormones may also play a significant role in causing/triggering bipolar disorder.

Genetics: bipolar disorder tends to run in families. Therefore, if one member of a family has the condition, another might have the condition. Genes that are said to cause bipolar disorder are still being studied.

Environmental factors: such as stress, abuse, or other traumatic experiences can also be a trigger.

Biological differences: those who have bipolar disorder seem to have physical brain changes. It is not yet known if these changes have any significance but they may finally help to pinpoint the causes.

Miscellaneous: other possible causes of bipolar disorder include risk factors like alcohol and drug abuse, periods of severe stress, death of a friend or family member.

Research continues to try to find the exact causes of bipolar disorder. At this point in time it seems pretty clear that out of all of the aforementioned causes, an imbalance in neurotransmitters appears to be the leading cause. As such, current treatment measures include medications that enhance those transmitters which are responsible for a person's mood such as dopamine, seratonin and norepinephrine. Medications also aim to stop the breakdown and elimination of these neurotransmitters which in essence,allows them to do a more efficient job.