Manic Depressive Disorder Causes: The Top 5 Manic Depressive Disorder Causes That Can Affect a Loved One
Manic depressive disorder, also commonly known as bipolar disorder, is an illness that causes mood swings, shifts in energy and activity levels, and affects your ability to perform daily activities. A person with this condition many seem overly confident or have an inflated sense of self. The individual may take part in risky behaviors, talk a lot, and have a hard time concentrating. While everyone has normal changes in mood every day, a person with bipolar disorder will suffer from severe symptoms, which may include broken relationships, job loss, delusional episodes, poor work or school attendance, bad grades, and even have suicidal thoughts. The disorder can appear in people in their late teens or early adult years, but it can also develop much later in life. Manic depressive disorder causes vary from person to person, so the disease can often be hard to diagnose, and it may take years before a person receives proper treatment. Individual symptoms of the illness may be treated instead of being seen as part of a larger problem. This long-term illness can be successfully managed throughout a person’s life. This guide will explore the reasons behind the disorder.
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1) Genetics
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one of the leading risk factors for developing bipolar disorder is genetics. If you have a relative that has been previously diagnosed, you are at a greater risk of developing the condition. Also, an individual with a parent, brother, or sister who has been diagnosed is four to six times more likely to develop the illness. Researchers are still trying to find out which genes are responsible, but they do believe genetic makeup is not the only factor that can cause a person to develop this condition. Identical twins with the same genetic makeup may not both develop the disorder simply because the other does. Studies on biological twins that have been separated and adopted have provided additional insights on why environmental factors also come into play.
2) Neurochemical Imbalance
Bipolar disorder occurs in a specific area of the brain. Pictures of the brain at work indicate individuals with the disorder may have had differences in brain development while growing up. Thus, the brain of someone with manic depressive disorder may look different from someone with a healthy brain. Research has also shown that the neurotransmitters, or chemical messengers, may also be a probable cause for the condition. These chemicals include norepinephrine and serotonin, among others. Serotonin is a naturally occurring chemical in our brains that helps prevent depression. An individual with low levels of certain neurotransmitters may have a difficult time dealing with the normal stresses of life. Not only can this increase your risk for bipolar disorder but it also increases the risk of other health problems including heart disease. Some people’s mania have a biological basis, so the disease can often lay dormant until it is triggered by an outside factor, such as stress, social circumstances or depression.
3) Environmental Factors
Most scientists agree that manic depressive disorder causes include a combination of factors rather than just one. These factors act together to increase your risk of getting the illness, or they simply increase the risk you will get the illness later in life. Environmental factors that can trigger the illness can include the death of a loved one, a traumatic injury, a job loss, and alcohol or drug abuse. Any one of these factors can make you feel helpless and out of control, which can trigger a manic depressive episode. A person may go through life without experiencing such a life-altering event, but once an individual suffers from something that completely changes their outlook, the illness seems to take on a life of its own. Eventually, it will take less to trigger an episode. While some environmental factors, such as substance abuse, are not seen as one of the manic depressive disorder causes, they may cause severe depression, which in turn can trigger an episode of manic depression. Substance abuse can even interfere with medications that are being used to treat the illness, which can make the condition worse.
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4) Medication
Many prescribed or over-the-counter medications can cause manic depressive disorder. While antidepressants are useful in treating feelings of helplessness and suicidal thoughts, these medications should be used carefully with a person who has suffered from a manic-depressive episode. When a person goes through a bout of depression, the result can be a manic-depressive episode. A person treated for depression is also treated with an anti-mania drug to help counter the effects of the antidepressant. Other medications can result in out-of-control feelings, including appetite suppressants, cocaine, ecstasy, and amphetamine. An individual who drinks a lot of coffee or energy drinks may experience a type of high that can cause a manic-like episode. If you or someone you love has ever suffered from a manic episode, you should notify your doctor to help you avoid another medication-induced manic-depressive episode.
5) Hormones
Just as hormonal changes can cause premenstrual syndrome, they can also trigger psychotic disorders and manic depressive disorder because hormones are known for causing a rapid change in mood. Women are more likely to experience depressive episodes than men, and men are more likely to experience episodes of mania. This generally points to hormones as playing a role in the development of the issue. One research study suggested evidence that late-onset bipolar disorder in women may be associated with the hormonal changes during menopause, and women who have severe symptoms of PMS are more likely to suffer from bipolar disorder. An excellent example of hormonal changes as one of the manic depressive disorder causes is seen in women with postpartum depression. Evidence has shown that women who have recently given birth are seven times more likely to be hospitalized for bipolar disorder, and they have an increased risk from a recurrence of symptoms. While hormones have not officially been named a factor in causing the disorder, studies have shown it is likely that they can contribute to the condition.
