Triggers of Bipolar Disorder

Mania and hypomania share the same symptoms which include:

• Elevated mood
• Feeling upbeat, euphoric, or irritable
• Increased energy
• Racing thoughts
• Poor judgment
• Difficulty concentrating
• Decreased need for sleep
• Unusual talkativeness

With mania these symptoms are often severe enough to cause a disruption in the person’s daily life. They may be unable to go to work or school, or they may find themselves in risky or unsafe situations such as excessive spending, risky sexual behaviors, or reckless driving.

Hypomania is a more mild form of mania, meaning that during hypomania the person may still be able to go about their daily life with little to no interruption.

Bipolar depression can be characterized by the following symptoms:

• Emptiness
• Sadness
• Tearfulness
• Guilt
• Fatigue
• Sleep issues
• Hopelessness
• Loss of interest in activities
• Difficulty concentrating
• Restlensess
• Slowed behavior
• Suicidal thoughts or actions

Changes in sleep patterns are not only one of the more common symptoms of bipolar disorder, but it can also be a fairly common trigger.

Both sleep deprivation and disruptions in sleep patterns, such as irregular sleep schedules or changes in time zones, can trigger manic or hypomanic episodes in individuals with bipolar disorder. Sleep disturbances can also lead to increased irritability, mood swings, and difficulties in managing stress, which can exacerbate the symptoms of bipolar disorder.

It’s important for people suffering from bipolar disorder to prioritize structured sleep habits including:

• Having a consistent sleep schedule
• Avoiding caffeine and stimulating activities before bedtime
• Creating a relaxing bedtime routine
• Creating a conducive sleep environment

Prioritizing healthy sleep habits can not only help the person’s overall well-being but it can also reduce the risk of triggering manic or depressive episodes.

If you or a loved one is battling bipolar disorder, understanding and being able to recognize these triggers can go a long way in getting the professional help you need to address your condition.

Relationship issues, including conflicts with family members, friends, or romantic partners, can be significant triggers for bipolar disorder. Not only can these conflicts trigger an episode, but they can also be the result of currently being in a manic or depressive episode.

Stressful situations in relationships such as breakups, divorces, conflicts, or loss of loved ones often lead to increased emotional distress which, in turn, can trigger mood swings.

It is important for those with bipolar disorder to be aware of the impact of relationship issues on their mental health and take steps to manage them effectively such as:

• Seeking support from a therapist or counselor
• Practicing healthy communication and conflict resolution skills
• Setting healthy boundaries in relationships
• Taking time for self-care and self-reflection

While substance abuse and addiction may not cause bipolar disorder, turning to drugs and alcohol as a way of self-medicating can help cause an episode to occur or even make an existing episode worse.

Regular drug and alcohol use can disrupt the mood stabilizers in the brain which can intensify the symptoms of bipolar disorder. They can also interfere with sleep patterns, impair judgment, and negatively impact relationships, all of which are both symptoms and triggers of bipolar disorder.

Even those who may be taking antidepressants to help manage their bipolar disorder may experience manic episodes.

For those battling substance abuse and addiction on top of bipolar disorder, it is important to seek treatment right away to address both conditions simultaneously (this is known as dual diagnosis treatment).

Co-occurring disorders are often treated using a combination of:

• Telehealth or teletherapy
• Support groups
• Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)

For roughly 20% of people with bipolar disorder, their symptoms are tied to both the weather and the time of the year. This is what’s known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Those with SAD are more likely to suffer from depressive episodes in the winter and manic or hypomanic episodes in the spring and summer.

The main reason for this is the changes in daylight hours. A person’s circadian rhythm, which is the body’s internal response to changes in a day, is affected by the amount of sunlight they get each day.

The decrease in daylight during the fall and winter months can disrupt the body’s internal clock and impact mood-regulating neurotransmitters in the brain, potentially triggering depressive episodes. During the spring and summer months, the increase in daylight can trigger manic or hypomanic episodes.

For those suffering from SAD, or those with bipolar disorder that are affected by the change in seasons, light therapy has been proven to be particularly effective.

Postpartum depression is a serious and fairly common condition that can develop in women after giving birth, whether they have a history of bipolar disorder or not.

For those with bipolar disorder specifically, the hormonal fluctuations that take place both during and after pregnancy can disrupt the balance of mood-regulating chemicals in the brain. This can trigger manic, hypomanic, or even depressive episodes.

Bipolar disorder is also strongly associated with postpartum psychosis, a severe mental illness characterized by an inability to respond emotionally to one’s newborn, or by thoughts of harming one’s baby.

It’s also important to note that while it is often assumed that postpartum depression can only occur in the mother (the person giving birth), the father may also experience symptoms of postpartum depression.

Even for those who do not suffer from a mental health condition, such as bipolar disorder, losing a job can be incredibly stressful.

For someone with bipolar disorder, the loss of financial stability, routine, and a sense of purpose that comes with having a job can lead to increased stress, anxiety, and depression. All of these can trigger a manic or depressive episode.

Putting money away for a “rainy day” may help make the transition process after the loss of a job less stressful.

Grief and loss, such as the death of a loved one, can be a significant trigger for bipolar disorder episodes. The emotional impact of losing a loved one can lead to intense grief, sadness, and emotional instability, which can trigger episodes of depression or mania.

While the grieving process is never easy for anyone, for someone with bipolar disorder, it can be debilitating.