Bipolar disorder is a form of mental illness whose sufferers experience extreme highs and lows. Typically, you will see someone go from mania (which can manifest as talkativeness, high energy or elation) to depression (which can present itself as hopelessness, sadness or worthlessness) and back again over time. As with most any condition, the appearance of these extreme mood swings will vary. Some people will experience fairly dramatic shifts while others will stay on one side of the spectrum for long periods of time. That being said, people who live with a bipolar disorder do have periods of what many people would refer to as "normal" moods. But, it's really the swings that are indicative of this disorder. Due to the overall nature of the illness, the origins can be hard to detect and will vary from person to person.
Chemical Imbalance
One of the most predominant beliefs is that bipolar disorder is a consequence of the brain experiencing a chemical imbalance. No matter the person, each of our brains is filled with neurotransmitters. When they come out of balance chemically, as in the case of norepinephrine, which plays a role in our attention and reaction to things, they can cause mania or depression. In mania, the chemical levels have swung quite high, and, in depression, the chemical levels have swung rather low.
Emotional Stress
Another belief in the origin of bipolar disorder is emotional stress, which is characterized as a person's inability to cope or respond in an appropriate manner to some outside force. This could be an event in your distant past or something that happened at the time of the illness. Basically, a person would not possess healthy coping mechanisms, and the stress could then induce the disorder.
Genetics
According to the Mayo Clinic, there is also the belief that heredity plays a key role in the origin of bipolar disorder. Often, a person who is living with a bipolar disorder will have other family members with this same mental illness. This doesn't mean that simply having a relative that suffers from this disorder will guarantee a diagnosis; it just makes you predisposed to the illness.
Drug Use
Another possible cause for bipolar disorder is the use of narcotics, and this doesn't have to be prolonged abuse. Certain people have suffered from an imbalance due to cocaine, speed and other illegal drugs. Since these substances generally affect the function of your brain, there is the potential that it can chemically alter the way in which the neurotransmitters work.
Death of Brain Cells Theory
According to the Department of Medicine at Duke University, some researchers believe that bipolar disorder is a result of certain cells dying within the brain. These cells are said to be specifically linked to the management of a person's emotional state and mood. When the function of these cells is no longer in operation, a person would then no longer have control over their emotions, manifesting in extreme swings of mood. However, this is just a theory of this disorder's origin, and more studies would need to be applied to validate this concept.
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