Bipolar Disorder - Cause
The cause of bipolar disorder is not well understood, although evidence suggests that the disorder runs in families.5 Your living environment and family situation may also play a role in the disorder. Episodes of depression and mania may be caused by a problem with certain brain chemicals called neurotransmitters.
Antidepressant medicines can trigger a manic episode in a person who has bipolar disorder. But this may occur before someone is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, while he or she is seeking treatment for an episode of depression.
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance web site provides timely information on depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder, and explains how doctors screen for these conditions. This web site provides information for the newly diagnosed, as well as recovery steps, and ways to help a loved one with depression and bipolar disorder. Child & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation The Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation (CABF)...
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Sleep deprivation or substance abuse, including caffeine, can cause a person with bipolar disorder to have a manic episode.
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