Bipolar Disorder Causes

There are people all around the world who are suffering from bipolar disorder and are wondering about the bipolar disorder causes.  Why me? What caused this? The exact cause of bipolar disorder has still not been discovered, but most doctors believe that there are multiple causes which act together to cause the disorder.

Most doctors agree that bipolar disorder results from a chemical imbalance within the brain.  This balance should be controlled by neurotransmitters. When the neurotransmitters are not working correctly, an imbalance of norepinephrine may occur, causing the onset of bipolar disorder.  When these levels skyrocket, bipolar mania occurs. When they drop down, patients experience depression.

Bipolar disorder is known to be genetic. If one
family member has bipolar disorder, there is a very good chance that other family members will develop it. The identical twin of a person with bipolar disorder is at the
highest risk for developing the condition. In most cases, stress, drug use, an illness or some other outside event triggers the disorder, which has been latent in the patient.  The disease does not occur just because of one gene, and the cause of the disease is likely a combination of multiple genetic and environmental factors.

Everyone has mood swings, but not everyone has bipolar disorder.  Regular mood swings have many causes, including the following:

• Head trauma (blood clot or
  bleeding in the brain)

• Thyroid problem (both underactive and overactive)
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
  (a condition that may affect various body organs, including the brain)

• Brain tumor
• Epilepsy (seizures)
• Neurosyphilis (a form of the sexually transmitted disease, syphilis, that has
  gone to the brain because it went untreated too long)

• AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, the ultimate result of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV)
• Sodium imbalance
  (sodium, one of several elements found in body cells that is necessary for
  their proper function)

• Diabetes mellitus (a
  disorder of, among other things, sugar processing in the body)

• Certain medications that decrease the amount of serotonin or norepinephrine, such as some antihypertensive drugs and some preparations of steroids and birth control pills.

These causes should be treated on their own, not treated with medication for bipolar disorder causes.  It is important to find a doctor who is experienced enough to tell the difference.

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