Bipolar disorder is rare.
Bipolar disorder is more common than you might think: 2.8% of U.S. adults experienced bipolar disorder in the past year.
Researchers have not discovered a single cause of bipolar disorder. Currently, they believe several factors may increase the risk of developing bipolar disorder or can act as a trigger for the first episode:
- Having a first-degree relative (a parent or sibling) with bipolar disorder
- Periods of high stress, like the death of a loved one, childhood emotional abuse or another traumatic event
- Research has identified subtle differences in the average levels or activation of some chemical signals in the brain.
- Medical comorbidities like irritable bowel syndrome and asthma, which may point toward shared inflammatory pathophysiology of the disorders
- Alcohol/drug misuse