Causes of Bipolar Disorder Revealed By 10+ Years Research

Causes of Bipolar Disorder Revealed By 10+ Years Research
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Bipolar disorder involves very severe mood swings; it is a condition of extreme emotional states.

Someone experiencing the disorder will have periods of great energy and exhilaration at times. These could last weeks or often several months.

At other times they will experience very deep depressions.

Some of the key findings were that among those with bipolar disorder:

Migraines were 3.5 times more likely.
Childhood trauma was more likely.
Higher intake of saturated fats.
Lower levels of key bacteria in the gut.
Poor sleep among women with the condition.
Strong neurotic tendencies in their personalities.
Cognitive abilities were lower.
Two genes were important: CACNA1 and ANK3.

The researchers found that while bipolar disorder tends to run in families, there were no specific genes at its heart.

So often times we see people who appear crazy for a while and the next go around they are the most entertaining person who is so enthusiastic and fun to be around.

How many of you know someone who has these mood swings? I, for one, have thought of myself and have been suggested by my doctors to suffer from this time to time. Though I do go through depressive stages in late fall and winter due to gloomy weather, my spirits often lighten up when we start getting warmer and sunnier weather. So I don't know for sure if I have it or not.



Now this thread isn't about me, though it is a little study and side research into one's mind. At one time I think we have tried to study ourselves when our brain was not doing what we wanted it to do and so we thought maybe something is wrong like a chemical imbalance of some sort. According to this study though:

There is no one specific cause of bipolar disorder...It is not down to one chemical imbalance or one specific life event.

So we get it that BPD is a complexity of things all molded into one. To create a sense of the picture of someone who does have (or had) this disorder sort to speak, here are a few honorable mentions:

Elvis Presley
Drew Carey
Florence Nightingale
Marilyn Monroe
Mel Gibson
Carrie Fisher
Jim Carrey
Robin Williams
Robert Downey Jr.
Brittany Spears
Madonna
Russell Brand
...and many more HERE and Over Here

Anyways, I thought this may be useful for someone who is experiencing symptoms of this and if it helps you out great! In the meantime, brain wellness starts with a solid question and ends with an awesome research with eureka moments! (That probably didn't make sense hahaha)

a reply to: Skywatcher2011

Brought to you by Big Pharma and they approve this message.

originally posted by: nwtrucker
a reply to: Skywatcher2011

Brought to you by Big Pharma and they approve this message.

You could think that but that is not the case. A little more compassion to those who have it would help. Pharma may not be the solution to everything, but for some people it helps as there are no real alternatives that work.

originally posted by: Skywatcher2011

originally posted by: nwtrucker
a reply to: Skywatcher2011

Brought to you by Big Pharma and they approve this message.

You could think that but that is not the case. A little more compassion to those who have it would help. Pharma may not be the solution to everything, but for some people it helps as there are no real alternatives that work.

It is the case. The rhetoric was 'chemical imbalance'. No such thing as one of the two were not measurable. None received that chemical imbalance test, as it was a fraud from the beginning.

So fill 'er up with chemicals that bury the very symptoms and do no more. Lifetime user created. Profit assured.

a reply to: nwtrucker

I guess more people need to be studied.. this was but a small sample.

Sometimes, medications can be a big help.

Take this from a chronic migraine sufferer. I have my life back thanks to medication, but it wasn't an easy road to find the right one coupled with the right lifestyle.

Between them, I still have migraines, but they are much, much less severe and far less frequent.

Sure, there may be no "magic pill" for bipolar disorder, but all this OP tells me is that it seems that for now bipolar is as individual as migraines tend to be which means that the treatment that works for one person will likely be different than the effective approach needed to treat the next. One may need medication and another may need something different. And there may be different medications that work for different reasons, even.

The fact that it has no single known cause is not even remotely new information. Additionally, "cause" is nowhere near synonymous with "features of", particularly when speaking about a medical disorder. Those "features" are not new information either. People with bipolar disorder don't just suffer from pesky mood swings here and there...but I'm certain that by making it sound like it's just a little bothersome mood issue, the pharmaceutical companies find that more gullible people will be more than happy to take the poison pill they're being offered so nonchalantly.

The actual fact is, the cause of the disorder remains unknown...all they've got are possible triggers common to a very limited number of study participants that do not in any real way represent the millions of people out there suffering from this debilitating, horrible disorder every day in an uncontrolled, organic environment. That's the same information they had when they started.

Be careful about spreading false information. People out there really will believe it to be true. Always looking for something extraneous to explain away things that are actually completely within their own power to remedy.

a reply to: tigertatzen

I wonder if BP is related to someone who thinks in a dream world and reality world. When life is good you are dreaming and when # hits the fan it is when they experience reality. Maybe there is a misalignment?

AS with most genetic relationships with illnesses, these genes mean that either certain food chemistry needs to be consumed or certain food chemistry needs to be avoided.

CACNA1 is a calcium Ion channel issue. Basically these people are experiencing a seizure like overexcitation. You can moderate Calcium utilization with salt increase if there is not a problem with BP, or regulating the calcium channels with meds that effect uptake and calm, like more taurine in the diet which is found in meats, or by using a calcium binding food chemistry or reducing calcium somewhat. Or you can take calcium channel blockers. It could be a magnesium deficiency that causes this, even a B6 deficiency can cause problems like that and that is also tied to genetics, some people cannot take B6 out of food or utilize it right. B6, Taurine, and magnesium have a calming effect. Because calcium is part of the ion pump, it can cause some problems if overactivated.

The ANK genes have something to do with Sodium channels if I remember right, I am not too sure how that gene works, whether it would be better treated by lowering sodium channels or by increasing the sodium level. I would guess for this one, the sodium would be not wanted, different than a problem in the calcium dept. Calcium can be neutralized by sodium in the digestive tract, but not in the bloodstream. I am guessing at possible relativity here, I really am not sure how this gene works only that it has something to do with sodium channels. They have sodium blocking meds like Depakote.

Surprisingly the medicines for epilepsy share things in common with antipsychotics. I have aquired epilepsy, the meds they gave me just screwed things up in my body, My seizures come from scarring on the temporal lobe which can cause interactions with vision and even more with hearing weird noises. I am used to the noises, most often sounding like a horn sound or clank, but it makes it difficult with having cats, they get into more trouble. They knock a flower pot of the window and I think it is my epilepsy audio hallucinations. With the visual, it is more in the filtering system, I look at the moon and see three moons, I have a hard time bringing the images together and filtering the image.

I can't quite understand how come bi-polar gets triggered like it does, I know some people with this condition and it is a night to day difference. I can understand the susceptability part, but can't understand how it can continue on for a long episode, almost like part of their brain fell asleep that gave them the nice attitude. It almost seems like it is actually what they used to call a duel personality issue without the change in a person's name, Most people with multiple personalities have a different name. Although, what is in a name, maybe the Bi-polar ones just both want the same name.

The genetic connection to these diseases will be found. It might be that a complex genset will be discovered for susceptability, but still diet will be something that may control it. If less calcium is needed, consume less calcium or block the enzyme that uptakes the calcium with a blocking food. Fat blocks calcium uptake too. The form the calcium is in might also be pertinent to controling things. I have not dove into that though, some calcium is bound to food tighter than others, some people lack enzymes to cleave it. Calcium is also used by our immune system to moderate power it creates and calcium channel blockers can sometimes help with autoimmune issues, so can folate blockers. Folate may be the culprit, folate might trigger an event like bi-polar. If the Methylation cycle is too powered up, it might do something like that. Anti-nutrient food chemistry might be a plausible solution for that, and of course, avoiding overconsumption of glutamates will help all these diseases. I don't think blocking choline is a good solution with Bipolar, it doesn't seem like the right process.

Sorry for rambling around with this, I am typing and thinking about it as I am typing. I like being just a tad bit eccentric, it is kind of fun.

a reply to: Skywatcher2011

Most of this psycho stuff, is nothing but pseudo science mumbo jumbo stuff ... somewhere in the vicinity of "jesus", "santa claus" and "god" ... etc.

If a person doesn't have mood swings, I'd suggest that particular individual was really disturbed. I'd keep away from that individual, as far as I could muster ... wouldn't even touch him/her with a robar.

And seriously, have you ever looked carefully at some of those "doctor" types?

Really coo-coo, if you get my drift. So, don't get all too worried and stuff ... try and get over it, if you can. Every human being on earth, has their deamons, their devil ... their problems, including you and me.

a reply to: rickymouse

Simply mind blowing! Awesome research and kudos for posting this!

I once delt with a chick with that. Condition is no joke. A sad thing for people to have to deal with. They piss you OFF real quick, then switch back, and like you're just supposed to be all happy all the sudden too.

a reply to: rickymouse

It's a bit like migraine.

The migraine itself is misfiring in the brain that causes a pain feedback loop after it's done.

In order to block the misfiring, most medications are either calcium channel blockers, sodium channel blockers or beta blockers.

I am on an anti-seizure, sodium channel blocker.

It is known now that migraine and seizure are like cousins. Maybe they will discover that the mood swings of bipolar are triggered by a similar sort of overexcitability that sets up its own kind of feedback loop reinforcing one mood state or the other for prolonged periods of time.

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss
I once delt with a chick with that. Condition is no joke. A sad thing for people to have to deal with. They piss you OFF real quick, then switch back, and like you're just supposed to be all happy all the sudden too.

You're lucky, My ex has that disease, and it has gotten worse since I divorced her thirty three years ago. We had a daughter together, so I do find out what is going on still. I get along with her somewhat. I just know to stay away while she is in those episodes, something you cannot do when you live with a person with that problem.

Back then there was no name bi-polar, she was considered a royal bitch by most of the people I knew. The funny thing is that she always controlled herself while we were going together, I suppose when she was in that mood she stayed away. She has a little more than Bipolar though, she has gotten a lot more dishonest over the years.

originally posted by: Skywatcher2011
a reply to: tigertatzen

I wonder if BP is related to someone who thinks in a dream world and reality world. When life is good you are dreaming and when # hits the fan it is when they experience reality. Maybe there is a misalignment?

Existential issues could be part of it. For me, it definately was. I'm more comfortable but find a healthy lifestyle, and looking after myself go hand and hand with following our doctors advice.

Medication can be helpful, though it works much better taking a holistic perspective on Health.

I find when my routine breaks down, and I stop looking after myself, symptoms become more pronounced. The stress that causes this can come in different forms, this after getting my existential angst healed.

I noticed the mention about gut bacteria. Drinking Kefir has been very helpful, this time of the year.

i have 2 friends who are brothers who both have bi-polar issues. some days they are good and some days they are bad but one thing i always found interesting is they both said they never dream or atleast remember themselves ever dreaming. i always wondered if not having that release at night weighs on their psyche over time.

a reply to: TheScale

I think so. During sleep individuals are able to process info. Even during be waking life, time is needed to gain clarity about the course of actions or how we feel about things. It's easy to feel overwhelmed when thinking about all one's challenges at once. Drug use also plays a role in dream recall.

There's a lot of stigma around discussing mental health. Education makes a huge difference, so it's nice when someone takes the opportunity to open up a dialogue on the topic.

Another fun fact is that it tends to have a comorbid relationship with Autism. You tend to see BPD, depression and Autism running in the same families, affecting the same individuals. They all seem to be influenced by gut bacteria and diet.

Many late-diagnosed Autists were misdiagnosed as bipolar. So if the diagnosis doesn't seem to fit get a second opinion

I used to be on meds for Aspergers, bad side effects. Now I eat plenty of meat and veggies with little to no preservative-laden flavour mixes, I still indulge but make sure that I eat a majority of healthy foods. I exercise and have started weight training. The most important is getting enough sleep, lack of sleep is a trigger for many mental health issues. Another powerful thing is hanging out with close friends.

I'm not saying everyone with a mental health issue or neurological disorder can go off meds and be fine, we're all different. Exercising, eating right and getting plenty of sleep works wonders for anyone

originally posted by: nwtrucker

originally posted by: Skywatcher2011

originally posted by: nwtrucker
a reply to: Skywatcher2011

Brought to you by Big Pharma and they approve this message.

You could think that but that is not the case. A little more compassion to those who have it would help. Pharma may not be the solution to everything, but for some people it helps as there are no real alternatives that work.

It is the case. The rhetoric was 'chemical imbalance'. No such thing as one of the two were not measurable. None received that chemical imbalance test, as it was a fraud from the beginning.

So fill 'er up with chemicals that bury the very symptoms and do no more. Lifetime user created. Profit assured.

Are you a Scientologist?

a reply to: Kalixi

I'm not saying everyone with a mental health issue or neurological disorder can go off meds and be fine, we're all different. Exercising, eating right and getting plenty of sleep works wonders for anyone

Those help with a lot of things.

I have to avoid stress, strong/flashing lighting, eat well, try to remain moderately active, and get plenty of sleep to help work with what my medication does for me.

It can't be one or the other. I have to go with both to maintain equilibrium.