Bipolar disorder . or manic depression as it used to be called . can be a very disruptive mental illness. There are two basic types . type I and type II . but while type I can be more disruptive than the other, both types will require proper treatment and monitoring to make sure that the life of the sufferer is as normal as possible.
But what causes bipolar disorder in the first place?
While nothing is known for certain most experts agree that there are two main causes for this disorder to make itself present in certain people. The first cause is a hereditary one. This means that if one or more people in your family suffer from bipolar disorder, you may be more predisposed to suffer from it as well. It should be pointed out though that this does not mean you WILL suffer from it. It simply means the chances for you may be higher than they would be for someone who does not have any instances of bipolar disorder in their family tree.
For example if you were born of parents who both suffered from bipolar disorder, this would not automatically mean you would suffer from it too. You would be more likely to get it than someone whose parents did not have it, but that is as far as anyone can say for sure.
One interesting thing which can be said of those who have bipolar disorder of either type is that there is a 50% or more chance of having some other kind of mental disorder in the family. This could be something like depression for example, although there are other examples which would be relevant as well. As yet there has been no definitive reason why this should be the case, although research will hopefully one day provide exact answers which could help predict who may get bipolar disorder.
Imaging scans of the brains of those who have one or other type of bipolar disorder have shown some interesting things. For example there are clear differences between those who do and don.t have bipolar, but this is as far as we have got with it so far. Hopefully in years to come the experts will be more knowledgeable and able to tell us who will and won.t be afflicted with bipolar as they get older. Being able to treat it before it occurs would be a huge step forward.
The second cause for bipolar disorder has to do with chemical imbalances in the brain. Medication can help to iron these out, and in this case you will find that the mood swings and excessive imbalances are not as bad as they would be if the sufferer did not take any medication at all. This is why proper management of the condition is vital if the sufferer is to lead a relatively normal life.
But there is more to bipolar disorder and managing it than simply taking medication. As with many other afflictions bipolar disorder can be made worse by coming into contact with triggers that can set off an episode.
Triggers vary from sufferer to sufferer, so it is important to find out what yours are so you can avoid them. For example if a lack of sleep makes your condition worse you would know to make sure you always got plenty of it. Late nights wouldn.t be a good idea and neither would early mornings. Other common triggers include drinking and taking drugs, and also sometimes the time of year and whether it is warm or cold.
The more you know about your condition the better you will be able to manage it.