Causes of Bipolar Disorder

Hi Everyone,

This topic has bothered me since my journey with BP started. It came up again today when I saw my pdoc. We went over my history. She gave me her opinion on the cause of me having BP. This is my story I had a full hysterectomy in 2011. After my surgery I started crying all the time and I was super sensitive. My PCP started me on Celexa 20,then 40. Things didn't get better so I went to another provider who increased the Celexa to 60. I flipped to mania (now i know it was) and was manic for 3 months. After almost getting hurt i went for a 3rd opinion. I was then told I had BP. The provider tried to figure out if I always had it. The answer was no (plus I've read post here from people that knew something was wrong. I couldn't relate). I explained that I had two half sisters that had BP. Both were dx'd early 18 & 20 (age 36 for me).The provider said she was positive that the stress of having surgery, the stress of dealing with my insurance comp plus returning to work trigger the onset of BP. All this time I blamed my surgery for causing this hell that I'm in. Is it possible that Celexa caused this? I know there are other causes of BP.....extreme stress and genetics.

I'm not sure about this, but my understanding is that bipolar can be 'latent' (and it is considered to some degree genetic) and then be triggered into rearing its ugly head by a big stressor. Could also be the Celexa. Or maybe the more plausible explanation, some combination of the two -a perfect storm, if you will.

the celexa would not trigger bp but most likely triggered the mania. antidepressants can do that. I was thrown into my worst cycle ever by Zoloft but I can take wellbutrin without it triggering a mania. just have to be careful. if you weren't bipolar, the mania would not have been triggered.

Yes exactly....I found an article that stated an antidepressant plus genetic predisposition could activate BP. Thanks for your insight.

I don't really know when my onset was. Once I was dx'd past things seem to fall into place.

I can relate. Once I was dx'd I could understand that a past time period was mania.

I can remember always having mood issues, even as a child. I do also remember it got much worse in my teen years (when I was put on lots of medications for depression and anxiety).

Life has always felt difficult for me and sort of torture trying to sort through the feelings. Only in the past year or so have I felt I am making progress.

I have read some interesting things I didn't know before, in this thread.

Thanks everyone!

I never had any signs of mania until I was 27 (just chronic depression and anxiety). Around age 27 my psychdoc at the time put me on Prozac and Ritalin at the same time and I had my first manic attack. I don't seem to have any family memebers who are BP, but I wonder about my youngest brother sometimes. My mother and I can't figure out if he has manic periods or if he's back drinking and possibly taking drugs and is hiding it. I guess it could be both though sadly enough. I understand. I'll always wonder would I have been "ok" if I'd never taken those meds together. It's a frustarting question and my current psychdoc says no one really knows which it is.

Hi dreamsofflight,
I can completely relate to you. The first two episodes I had we're while I was on an antidepressant. Today I spoke with a mental healthcare professional (not my regular provider). I explained everything to her. She explained that mania would only happen if the person is BP. So the antidepressant doesn't cause the BP instead it brings it to the surface. BP can lay dormant for years and then be activated (by medications, extreme stress or life changing event). The antidepressants we took activated our dormant BP. I'm still trying to accept that I have this condition for life.

I also believe there is a genetic factor but for some people it requires a trigger. Or maybe everyone requires a trigger but since we're all different, the trigger is different. So, some can get triggered early and some later. Like for me, maybe I got triggered as a kid (because I bet I had it as a kid,) because a) my mom was dying of cancer, b) I was severly bullied throughout elementary school until late high school, and then lesser bullied until my late 20s....

My dad has depression and my mom had some type of nervous thing and was a horder (so was her mom,) and my dad's first cousin has schizophrenia. So, I think it's in my bloodline, even if not everyone had it manifest as BP. I also believe in the idea that mental illness is a spectrum, not just an all or nothing thing.

I have Bipolar also, and in menopause, some of the symptoms are the same. I had my hysterectomy also, it put me in menapause early.

My hurricane of bipolar did not hit until my first year in college. I had a little few month long storm of depression in highschool, but nothing like now. I perceive college as being the major trigger, but I am convinced that, no matter what, it was going to happen anyway. College may have brought it out, but so many other things could have as well.

My biological mother is textbook bipolar. I believe I had the genetic predisposition.

i started with post pardumn depression, into severve depression, then it went crazy. My head started racing , i couldnt control my thoughts, i couldnt stop thinking over and over and over, they were stuck. I was angry, depressed, happy, agiated, I couldnt think anymore my brain just shut down, college became impossible. I I constantly worried about everything, even if their was nothing to worry about, i would spend hours tryingto figure out what i was worried about There was no way I could work. I have no desire to leave my house, socialize. I go no where. I mytake meds religious, Im scared if I dont the consquences would be worse

I would encourage you to speak w/ ur pdoc abt a med adjust meant. With the right cocktail you won't suffer so much. I've had to get mine adjusted b/c I started having depression. I have BP 1 and panic dx. I believe the panic dx is what's causing me problems right now.
Also do you go to a therapist? If not consider that and maybe a monthly support group (www.nami.org).