Are There Any Diseases Or Conditions That Might Increase My Risk Of Developing Bipolar Disorder?

 

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Question: Are there any diseases or conditions that might increase my risk of developing bipolar disorder?

Answer: There are a number of conditions that have been associated with bipolar illness; however, no single condition is necessarily the cause of bipolar illness.

For example, anxiety disorders -- such as obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and social phobia -- are sometimes seen in persons who suffer from bipolar illness. Similarly, chemical dependency and alcohol abuse are very commonly seen in people with bipolar illness.

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In the case of the latter two -- chemical dependency or chemical substance abuse and alcohol abuse -- those factors may actually make the illness more malignant. Thus, in someone who is at risk of bipolar illness -- who has the genetic vulnerability for bipolar illness -- it is possible that substance abuse, especially early in life, may make the illness either come on earlier or predispose for a more malignant course of illness over the person's lifetime.

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