Causes Of Bipolar Disorder: Genetics And Environment

Many people suffer from bipolar disorder. It is a kind of mental disease that projects mood swings that are on the opposite ends of the pole. People who suffer from it can experience elated moods and high levels of self confidence at some times, and at other times they are depressed and feel that they are worthless.

The severity of the disease depends on how frequent the mood swings happen and how severe the manifestations are.

There are many factors that are believed to cause bipolar disorder but none of them has been proven to be the definite cause.

Genetic and Biological Factors

Genetic and biological factors are believed to be one cause of bipolar disorder. Studies have shown that such disease is inherited and it is a well proven claim. The closer the kinship is the more possibility of inheriting the disease. It means that when one parent suffers from the disease, there is a big possibility that the children will also suffer from it. Studies on adopted children have proven that they are not affected by the disease even if the surrogate parents suffer from it.

Overwhelming evidence that proved the factor of genes to be one major cause of bipolar depression is a study that was conducted among twins. The study was conducted among identical and fraternal twins. It was later proven that if one twin suffers from depression, the likelihood that the identical twin also suffers is three times greater than that of the fraternal twin.

The genetic factor in the onset of depression is not attributed to a single type of gene. It is believed to be a combination of different genes and with a trigger from the environment, bipolar disorder will occur.

Environmental Factors

Environmental factors believed to cause bipolar depression are many. Among the observed frequent causes that trigger the disease is improper nutrition, lack of exercise and painful experiences suffered by the individual. The range of these painful experiences is also vast. It can be a loss of a job or a death of a love one. It can be a move or some wrong decisions and actions that the person made. It depends on the tolerance of the person and the kind of experience but the important thing to note is that they vary depending on the person.

When you sum up all the environmental factors that can cause the onset of depression, it will all boil down to a single notable thing. That is stress. Stress, both mental and physical are known to cause bipolar depression. But they do not happen for a long duration. If stress was able to cause depression, it will only play a role in the onset of the disease. When it is already addressed, the bipolar depression will go away.

If it lasts for a much longer period of time -- possibly about two weeks -- it means that stress only gave a kick start to the bipolar depression. Once it gained a momentum, it will continue but the factor that feeds it is no longer stress but rather the genetic factor. It only goes to say that environmental factors that have caused bipolar depression are not long term. Once the causes of stress disappears, it should go away. If it stays, genetic factors are more likely in play.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

Devices used for brain imaging are now available. These devices are helpful in observing the reactions that takes place inside the brain of a depressed person. These brain imaging devices are expected to provide great help in the difficult task of finding the genes that contribute to the onset of depression.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI and Positron Emission Tomography or PET was among the useful devices for such purpose. These devices have notable contributions to the field of psychiatric studies in the sense that they provide images of a living brain in the state of action. Researchers will be able to observe the structures and activities of the brain without having to conduct surgical operations.

The causes of bipolar depression are subject to serious studies up to the present. Researchers can only come up to bits and pieces of what could be the real cause but never the whole of the picture. The real cause is not yet ascertained up to the present but hopes for the researchers now are high. With the breakthrough in technologies for viewing the activities of the brain, it will not be long before the real solution to the problem can be obtained.