Is abuse a contributory factor?

I am just wondering if any of you have suffered childhood abuse and were diagnosed with bipolar in their adult years. I read somewhere that some 50% of people diagnosed with bipolar have been abused but can't remember where I found this information.

Its interesting because although I have depression running through my mother's side there is no bipolar (or certainly none that I know of).

I guess life events and trauma can certainly have an impact. Can anyone throw some light on this, thanks.

You might be getting bipolar (bp) mixed up with borderline personality disorder (bpd), which has a very high childhood abuse rate I think. Bipolar is generally genetic with more physical, obvious brain differences; kind of like schizophrenia can be. Bipolar usually doesn't show up until late teens. I had a boss with it and her brother-in-law had it too. Hers was well controlled so her children didn't even know she had it but then her daughter manifested in college and the whole thing was rough as she was in denial and hadn't known about her mother and uncle, etc.

While the exact cause of bipolar disorder (manic depression) has yet to be determined, there is a great deal of scientific evidence that indicates a chemical imbalance in the brain, with heredity and environmental triggers being the main cause.

LoVe,
Rhapsody -

I agree!!

According to what I have heard and read, bipolar is thought to have a genetic, biological component that is triggered by stress of one sort or another. When taking histories, some docs ask if anyone in your family has bipolar, while some ask "bipolar or depression", so I gather there is some discussion on the matter.

At any rate, I would think that the stress of abuse would certainly be severe enough to trigger bipolar, if indeed that model is correct.

DJ

I agree that stress from abuse can trigger the onset of bp, especially if you have a relative with it. Also, both my kids suffer from depression & my doc says any mood disorder like that is linked to genetics. It doesn't have to express itself as bp, but that it could develop into bp later on.

Also, even on meds you have to be careful of undue stress in your life as that can trigger an episode. Stress management & self-care are a big part of treating bp, I think, not just meds.--Suzy

I agree with DJ on this, any forms of abuse can certainly be a triggering factor.
My former T and pdoc, explained that even if a person is set up genetically to be bipolar, but hasn't or never had any symptoms, a major life event can trigger it, or exacberate situations.
Part of this, some researcher's claim is how the brain handles and processes the stress, the brain chemistry becomes effected, neurotransmitters/receptors become messed up, out of balance.
This doesn't mean everyone who experiences some horrible things will become bipolar, but if it's in the genes there is always a good chance of it surfacing.
Medications prescribed by a pdoc help get the imbalance(s) stabilized and talk therapy can help in adjunct.
I'm wishing you lots of luck with all of this.
Take care,
DE

Hi all

Thanks so much for your insight into this - you are all very knowledgeable people here! I already feel I have made some great friends.

DE and DJ - what you describe about a major stress event is exactly what has happened to me, but MANY. My father died aged 57 eight years ago, followed by my son being diagnosed with autism at age 3 yrs and many bereavements in both my husband and my sides of the family - too many to count.

I suffered with post natal depression when my son was 8 months old and was admitted to a psychiatric ward for two weeks, I also had psychosis. Add an abusive, controlling mother into the equation and bingo!..........

There is, as far as I know, no one with a diagnosis of bipolar in my family although most certainly severe depression in my mother and two of my brothers and panic disorders, PTSD.

No wonder really I have BPII.

Babs,

With a bit of luck you're on the road to healing, or at least building a life with some stability and peace and perhaps, (GASP) pleasure. It won't be quick, and it won't be easy, but it can happen. To you!

peace,
DJ

Thanks Davey - much peace to you also

Babs, It looks like you have good insight into mental health issues so you will know how to proceed in regards to getting help. Been through a lot with mental health issues, but there is HOPE--Suzy

Thanks Suzy - I am finally on the right road. I hope you are too, take care Babs

"I am just wondering if any of you have suffered childhood abuse and were diagnosed with bipolar in their adult years. I read somewhere that some 50% of people diagnosed with bipolar have been abused but can't remember where I found this information." Quoted

I think it is mostly chemical. The other things aggrivate it, in my opinion.

I don't really like to admit that I genetically got this illness but now I think it is the case.

In every generation different genes come into the gene pool. The ressessive genes that match with both the parents will eventually make the genotype and the phenotype real. We bi-polors mostly had a perfect match of the two genes. But there are others that get that way eventually all by themselves-over a time, but those are less in number. This is my theroy.

This too is my theroy..

Really being raised in a crummy emotional environment will cause an imbalance in your brain though. So some bi-polors are not as much genetic as shocked so very much by abrupt, loud, strange circumstances that eventually the brain chemicals produce irregular chemicals such as too much endorphins, epherinefeerine, which in turns cause the pancreas to put out more adreneline and insulin and these regular toxins (overdoses of normal chemicals only to be released once in a while- but often released by a stressed immune system, digestive system, lymphatic system will sooner or later cause the person's body to operate daily irregulary, where as the body is tricked into thinking that normal is this toxic state. Then the person seeks the physical stimulation to keep recieving the shocks of system , or starts allowing their body to react and function in the stressed phase and without it they don't feel all right.

Then when they grow up and get away from the family of orign that is when they get diagonose as bi-polor because the significant shift in chemical reactions has changed because they are no longer under duress as they were at home for years and they then "Need " medication because they don't have chemicals to make them feel all right.

The best thing to remember is that your children may not inherit your bi-polar disorder because the gene needs to come from the mom and dad. Atleast that's what I think is right. And raising your children in beneficial households can't guarentee they will not have the bi-polor it will give them the heigest chance to have a good start and then if they do need meds for it, they may still be better off, in my own opinon. My mom and dad were b-p plus the household was caos. They did not wish to get treated for it dispite knowing they were bi-polor. The three of us kids went through such torture and torment and even took awhile to consider that we needed to relearn what a good home should be. I took parenting classes and still could not catch up until it was too late. my kids are almost grown up and have been through so so much, even with me getting treatment the whole time I had B.P. Man it is not a pretty illness.

Hi Razel, sorry for my late reply to you. I really appreciate you taking the time to summarise this for me, it certainly does go with what I feel about the whole thing.

My mother being the child of first cousins definitely had BP1 like her mother who had it although being the child of first cousins on both sides. My grandmother was institutionalized for 40 years when my mother was 5. This loss could bring on also Borderline Personality Disorder. The loss of a of parent to schizophrenia can bring on BPD symptoms. BP1 is genetically hereditary, BPD is almost environmentally hereditary.
Agression is a more of a BPD trait.

Babs92, as most of us in here, it runs in my family as well, my mother suffers depression, and almost all her family has one or the other (bp) and also my father's mother suffered depression and something else that I really don't know what it was.
Now, me and my brother are bp.
I don't know what is going to happen to my daughter, but I know I'll be there for her.
I suffered verbal and phisical abuse as a child and by the age of 9 I already had night terrors (one of the many nice things that come along wiht BP).
Anyway, I hope everything works out for you!

In my own experience I spent 6 years undergoing both psychiatric,psychotherapist and abuse treatment...I had to ask why they kept labeling me as bipolar rapid cycler with PTSD..They said that considering that I've lost literally years of my life due to abusive episodes I've blocked I had PTSD tacked on to the episodes of bipolarism.
I must say that even after 10 years being diagnosed,my family still does not understand the extent to which my mind and body are affected,plus if you throw menopause into the mix...How do you get people who still believe that these episodes are truly my fault and not truly a mental illness(I hate that label) to understand that it isn't something I can just turn on and off at will.
I've spent a great deal of my life trying to figure out why I was different(sudden rages,on top of the world,and the major portion of my earliest memories not something I ever felt were real)so if you want my opinion and the opinion of 2 of the psychotherapists who treated me;abuse can be a major factor in starting the whole bipolar process.

Sorry I have been a bit late catching up with this thread that I originally posted. Biplol, thanks so much for your kind words and I am so sorry that you suffered as a child. Take care of you.

((((((biplol))))))

Auntie, welcome to the forum! Sounds like you have had a very tough time. My eldest brother was just diagnosed with PTSD, he suffers depression, he is not BP and this is all due to my mother's abuse.

Yes my family are trying to get their head's round my having BP. One of my brothers asked if it was catching when he found out!! My eldest brother has asked me a lot of questions though.

I know exactly what you are saying when people think its your fault that you can't possibly control yourself. I think my family get kind of swept up in my illness when they dont truly understand the extent of my stress and how I can't handle any of it - stress is a big trigger for mania and depression for me.

take care

Abuse causes mental, emotional and physical stress. If you face the abuse related stress for long periods of time you can develop borderline personality issues and post traumatic stress as well as all manner of physical health problems.

The prolonged stress can burn you out and leave you in a depressed state. If you have a history of depression or bipolar, than the depression caused by unmitigated stress could trigger a cycle.

I think regardless of whether or not you have a family history of bipolar, abuse is going to destabilize you sooner or later. If you have a history of family mental health problems, then more than likely you have a higher risk profile for going into a manic or depressive phase.

Ultimately, I think it is the prolonged stress reactions from abuse that causes imbalances in the body that can make you more vulnerable to BP but abuse in and of itself is probably not so much a contributory factor.

My experience with this comes from being severely abused by mentally ill parents for many years.

I hope that helps.