Bipolar disorder is a biological disorder in which neurotransmitters--chemical messengers in the brain--malfunction, according to Psych Central. Bipolar disorder is characterized by fluctuating moods that consist of extreme excitement and intense despair. Bipolar disorder may lie dormant for years only to be spontaneously activated. The exact cause of bipolar disorder is unknown, but it has been suggested that a combination of genetics and neurochemical reactions triggered by environmental stressors may contribute to the onset and progression of bipolar disorder.
Genetics
Bipolar disorder tends to be hereditary meaning that it "runs in families." Psych Central states that approximately 50 percent of people with bipolar disorder have a family member with a similar mood disorder, such as depression. A child with at least one parent with bipolar disorder is four to six times more likely to develop the same or a similar disorder then a child with no family history of the disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. In addition, people with bipolar disorder have some common traits, such as a history of psychiatric hospitalization, co-occurring obsessive-compulsive disorder, OCD, the age that they experienced their first manic episode and the frequency of their manic episodes.
Neurochemical Reactions And Abnormal Brain Cell Structure
People with bipolar disorder appear to experience chemical changes within their brains, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. The same drugs that relieve mood disorders also correct dysfunctional transmitters linking abnormal brain chemical reactions to mood disorders. High or low levels of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, norepinephrine or dopamine, may trigger the onset of bipolar disorder. In addition, there appears to be differences in the brain cell structure of people with bipolar disorder. Altered brain cell structure can cause an individual to have rapidly changing mood swings. A change in the sensitivity of nerve cell receptors on the brain may cause the neurotransmitters to malfunction activating bipolar disorder, in some people.
Hormones
Hormone imbalances may contribute to the development of bipolar disorder, according to a Healthy Place, a website that provides information on mental health issues. Fluctuating hormones levels may alter an individual's mood causing intense mood swings or sparking the onset of mood disorders in individuals who have a predisposition towards them. Rapidly changing hormone levels may also alter a person's response to some antidepressant drugs rendering them less effective in treating bipolar disorder.
