Causes of Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder affects 2.3 millón Americans or 1.2 % of the population and 7 out

of 10 people recieve one misdiagnosis. This disorder also known as maniac

depressive illness is a brain disorder that cause unusual shifts in mood, energy

and the ability to carry out every day task. There are four basic types of bipolar

disorder; all of them involve clear changes in mood, energy, and activity levels.

These moods range from periods of extremely “up,” elated, and energized

behavior (known as manic episodes) to very sad, “down,” or hopeless periods

(known as depressive episodes). Signs and symptoms of bipolar I and bipolar II

disorders may include other features, such as anxious distress, melancholy,

psychosis or others. Bipolar disorder can be caused by genetics, chemical factors,

and stress

Genetics is the main factor of bipolar disorder being the cause of 60 to 80% of

the cases. Variation of some genes were recently discovered to increase the risk

of this condition. According to Robert L Leahy, “Bipolar Disorder has a high

genetic determination which helps the patient to normalize the disease and seek

treatment faster” (2016) This is important because there is a big stigma about

people with mental illness so this leads to various misdiagnosis. Actually there

are not individual genes causing bipolar disorder but there are mutations in the
position of genes in chromosomes, these positions are found particular gene

sequences which appear to differ in people with bipolar disorder.

A stressful event like a big work or personal change can be a trigger for bipolar

disorder as well, a love one death, going to college, losing a job may be the initial

factor or cause the symptoms when there is already the diagnosis. According to

Robert L Leah “ bipolar disorder is not only exacerbated by negative

circumstances but also may be a cause to them” because when there is a

diagnosis of bipolar disorder all personal, family and friends routine change. One

of the most common bipolar triggers is stress. In a study published in June 2014

in the Journal of Affective Disorders, negative or stressful life events were

associated with subsequent mood swings. Earlier in their course, episodes of

depression or mania in bipolar disorder appear to be triggered more often by

stressful life events.

A change in environment can affect the pineal gland and start the symptoms,

some examples of this changes can be alcohol or drug use, or lack of sleep for

various days. Doctor Ellen Leibenluft says “ events such as staying awake in the

middle of the night for helping a relative with an emergency, or having anxiety for

preocupating events can also start bipolar disorder” this is because it affects the

brain conexions and interrupts the movements of neurotransmitters as well as

alcohol and drug use. Studies show that this factors do not act on their own,

instead in many cases there are correlated with each other, or one factor could

be necessary for the development of others.

Robert E Leahy. (2007). Bipolar Disorder: causes, consecuences, treatment .

United States: American Institute for Cognitive Therapy.