I saw this in a another thread and I think it's important enough to discuss.

Is Bipolar Disorder caused by abuse? I had thought that -potentially, though not always- abuse can result in PTSD and C-PTSD, but I had no idea that it played a role in BP. I googled around and could only find one article about a positive relationship (Medscape) purporting that childhood abuse can be a factor in the development and severity of BP. Otherwise, I found the opposite and articles that were not relevant (substance 'abuse' kept coming up as a result of BP). I also found articles talking about the relationship between the two but not causality per se.

I have not been a victim of abuse, however I have BP. Is BP caused by abuse? Sometimes, always, ever? Is there a causal relationship? Or can the two exist side by side without the one causing the other?

What are your thoughts?