Quote:
Originally Posted by HolisticGal
What about neither? What if it was actually an evolutionary adaptation? Perhaps the downs are necessary to replace the calories and sleep lost during the ups? Perhaps it's no longer adaptive in industrialized nations but then again my own pdoc said CEOs and entrepreneurs are bipolar and successful. If the ups reach to psychosis, then that would be maladaptive. If the downs reach suicidal ideation then that would have been eliminated from an evolutionary perspective unless that mostly manifests past reproductive age. That's just my guess of why it's still prevalent and the drugs are needed.
I'm just trying to figure everything out before I turn to meds that might my affect my organs negatively and undo thousands of years of evolution.
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A theory I find interesting
-from wikipedia-
Evolutionary
Because bipolar disorder affects an individual’s ability to function in society and has a high morbidity rate, evolutionary theory would suggest that the genes responsible would have been naturally selected against, effectively culling the disorder. Yet there continue to be high rates of bipolar disorder in many populations, suggesting the genes responsible may have an evolutionary benefit.
Proponents of evolutionary medicine hypothesize that the genes that cause severe bipolar disorder when inherited in large doses may increase fitness when inherited in small doses.[56] High rates of bipolar disorder throughout history suggest that the ability to switch between depressive and manic moods conveyed some evolutionary advantage on ancestral humans. Theories put forward to explain the evolutionary advantages of major depressive disorder may also explain the adaptiveness of the depressive episodes of bipolar disorder. For example, in individuals under increased stress, depressive mood may serve as a defensive strategy that causes the individual to retreat from the external stressor, increase sleep, and preserve resources and energy for better times.[57] Additionally, manic moods may convey advantage in some situations. Creativity, confidence, and high energy have all been linked to mania and hypomania.[58][59] The ability to utilize mild manic symptoms to be more productive and think more creatively during stress-free times may have increased the fitness of ancestral humans. Being able to employ both hypomania and mild depression convey advantages that benefit individuals in a variable environment. However, if the genes enabling the manipulation of both of these moods are over activated, the manic and/or severe depressive moods of full bipolar disorder may be triggered instead.
Evolutionary biologists have hypothesized that bipolar disorder could have come from an adaptation to extreme climactic conditions in the northern temperate zone during the Pleistocene. The Evolutionary Origin of Bipolar Disorder (EOBD) hypothesis states that during the short summers of extreme climactic zones, hypomania would be adaptive, allowing the completion of many tasks necessary for survival within a short period of time. During long winters the lethargy, hypersomnia, lack of interest in social activities, and overeating of depression would be adaptive to group cohesion and survival.[60] Evidence for the EOBD hypothesis include an association between bipolar disorder and a cold-adapted build, correlation between seasonality and mood changes in those with bipolar disorder, and low rates of bipolar disorder in African Americans.[61] The EOBD hypothesis suggests that in the absence of the extreme climactic conditions that fostered the success of bipolar disorder genes, many bipolar disorder behaviors are maladaptive and can often severely impair normal functioning.