Houston Bipolar Therapy Psychiatrist​

Bipolar disorder and depression may seem somewhat similar. Both bipolar disorder and depression involve episodes of depressed mood. However, there are some key differences. Those with bipolar disorder experience periods of elevated mood ranging from hypomania to mania, whereas those with depression do not experience manic symptoms and only experience depressed mood.

There are a number of risk factors for bipolar disorder. If you have an immediate family member who has bipolar disorder, you are at higher risk of developing bipolar disorder. Furthermore, traumatic events, periods of high stress, and drug/alcohol abuse can put you at risk for bipolar disorder.

There are a number of risk factors for bipolar disorder. If you have an immediate family member who has bipolar disorder, you are at higher risk of developing bipolar disorder. This relationship can be due to both genetic and environmental factors. Furthermore, traumatic events, periods of high stress, and drug/alcohol abuse can put you at risk for bipolar disorder. Any of these can be a trigger for your first manic or depressive episode.

For those suffering from bipolar disorder, the most important step to getting better is to see a licensed mental health care professional to get a diagnosis and begin treatment. Providers can prescribe medication and suggest lifestyle changes that can improve the management of your bipolar disorder.  State-of-the-art treatments such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can also be helpful for bipolar depression.

A number of studies have shown that bipolar disorder is highly heritable. One study suggests that genetic factors can explain 60-85% of risk of inheriting bipolar disorder. This suggests that having an immediate family member with bipolar disorder dramatically increases your risk of bipolar disorder.