Bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness) is a brain disease which evolves abnormal shifts in energy, mood, activity levels, and also the capability to fulfill everyday tasks. The signs typical of bipolar disorder are generally serious. They differ from normal ups and downs every person has at times. The symptoms of bipolar disorder can lead to various unpleasant consequences: they may spoil relations, may result in poor performance at work and at school, and in some cases may be a cause of suicide.
The good news is that bipolar disorder is treatable, and patients with this disease may lead full lives.
Most frequently bipolar disorder can develop in late teens or in early years of adulthood. Actually at least half the cases start before 25. Sometimes individuals may experience first symptoms in childhood, and at times people are likely to develop the signs later in life.
It is not easy to spot when bipolar disorder starts. First the symptoms might seem to be not related problems, and they are often not recognized like some parts of a greater problem. Some individuals may suffer for several years before being correctly diagnosed and also treated. Like some heart disease and diabetes, bipolar disorder is a long lasting illness and it should be carefully treated within a person’s life.
Some scientists are conveying studies about possible triggers of bipolar disorder. And most of them agree that there cannot be a single reason. Many factors and conditions work together and likely cause the disease or increase the risk of developing this disorder.
As bipolar disorder generally runs in families, scientists are searching for genes increasing risks of getting the disorder. Kids with one parent or a sibling with bipolar disorder are 4-6 times more prone to develop the disease than those who do not have relatives with bipolar disorder. Still most kids having a family history the disorder may not develop the disease.
Using the database of Bipolar Disorder Phenomenon, researchers found out that most individuals who suffer from bipolar disorder had the following conditions: missed work due to the illness, some other diseases at the same time, in particular panic disorders, alcohol and substance abuse; treatment or hospitalization due to bipolar disorder.
The scientists also detected some traits running in families. These are psychiatric hospitalization, age at the 1 manic episode, OCD (Co-occurring obsessive-compulsive disorder), manic episodes frequency.
Still not only genes put risks for developing bipolar disorder. It was discovered that twin of an individual having bipolar illness does not necessarily develop bipolar disorder. It is crucial as twins have the same genes. The results of researches suggest conditions besides genes that are at work as well. It is possible that the environmental factors and different genes are involved in the causes of developing bipolar disorder. But researchers do not yet realize how these conditions interact and provoke bipolar disorder.