Please verify your email address to receive email notifications.

Enter your email address

We have sent you a verification email. Please check your inbox and spam folder.

Unable to send verification, please refresh and try again later.

  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    What causes bipolar disorder?

    Related Topics
    Bipolar Disorder Mental Health
    • 2 answers
    • Eva Fera
    • Dr Alan Keen
    answer this question

  • Find a professional to answer your question

  • 3

    Thanks

    Eva Fera

    Clinical Psychologist, Health Psychologist, Psychologist

    I am a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society’s College of Clinical Psychologists and a member of the College of Health Psychologists. I have completed … View Profile

    This illness is caused by variety of factors including genetics, biochemistry and could be triggered by stress and even the seasons, It is believed that 2% of the population in Australia suffers from this disorder. It develops mainly in your twenty's but often I have seen ‘late onset’ in middle age although since it takes a long time to dignose this illness they may have developed it in their twenty's as well.

    Reply to this post
     · 
    Report

  • 4

    Thanks

    Dr Alan Keen

    Clinical Psychologist, Psychologist

    Adult, adolescent and child mental health issues View Profile

    Bipolar disorder refers to strong mood swings. In other words, changes in the mood from either strong or exaggerated form of euphoria or extreme happiness to sadness or change. The other aspect of bipolar disorder can be strong or profound change of mood from depression to an extreme form of anxiety. It is caused by some sort of chemical changes in the brain. We have 2.5 pounds of electrified gel between our two ears. It makes us human.

    It organizes and regulates our behavior such as sadness, anger, frustration, love, happiness, crying, or to be happy, the brain works by loads of chemistry and electricity.

    These sort of changes in the chemistry of the brain, primarily in the form of changes in the neurotransmitters from which all behavior is regulated, including bipolar disorder. So bipolar disorder is caused by a certain type of change to the chemicals in the brain. The absence or too much presence of some sort of chemical. What exactly those chemicals are, we don't exactly know, but there are some suggestions.

    Reply to this post
     · 
    Report
answer this question

You must be a Health Professional to answer this question. Log in or Sign up .

You may also like these related questions

Related Fact Sheets
Related Questions

Empowering Australians to make better health choices