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Bipolar Affective Disorder
Bipolar affective disorder, also called 'manic-depressive illness', is one of the most severe mental ailments that plague a lot of people today. Bipolar affective disorder is a mental illness that is a combination of extreme depression and extreme feelings of being 'high' which then lead to severe irritability. Having an overview of bipolar affective disorder and its causes may give a better understanding of people who have the said condition.
Patients who have bipolar affective disorder are observed to have recurring mood swings which more often than not make it quite difficult for patients to lead normal lives. The most common causes are mostly non controllable. The causes of bipolar affective disorder include:
Genetics
Studies have shown that genetics plays a big role in producing bipolar affective disorder in people. A person with a first degree relative who has bipolar affective disorder has an increased chance of developing the said condition. Medical experts have also observed that if a parent has the disorder, the child may have a big chance of developing a serious mental ailment.
Biochemical factors
Biochemical factors such as neurotransmitters, drugs, etc. are said to be among the causes of bipolar affective disorder. An example would be glutamate, as a study has been done that showed how high levels of glutamate were present in people who have bipolar affective disorder. Drugs such as cocaine may also worsen the symptoms of bipolar disorder, specifically mania.
Environmental Causes
Stress or pressures from environmental factors may also cause bipolar affective disorder. Women who are pregnant may have a big chance of having it because of pregnancy related stress. The nature of a person's job may also be among the factors of the development of bipolar affective disorder. For example, a vineyard worker may be very busy during harvest season and may be more stressed, thus, having an increased possibility of developing it.
Knowing the causes as well as other pertinent information on bipolar affective disorder, in other words, being educated may help both the patients and loved ones understand how to deal with the ailment.
