Bipolar Triggers: What Sets the Condition Off?
“Bipolar disorder can be a great teacher. It’s a challenge, but it can set you up to be able to do almost anything else in your life.” – Carrie Fisher
Finding out you have bipolar disorder can seem daunting. Is your mood just going to change without warning? One minute will you be depressed and the next manic? Is there a rhyme or reason?
You are not the only one curious about these questions. Over the last 7 days, the search for “bipolar disorder” was 100% popular on Google here in Bradenton. Clean Recovery Centers is here to bridge the gap and spread knowledge about this condition. Let’s talk about bipolar triggers and what can cause drastic shifts in mood.
Bipolar Triggers: What Do They Entail?
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition characterized by extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). These mood shifts are known as episodes, and they can vary in how long they last. One of the biggest factors in experiencing episodes is encountering triggers. Bipolar triggers can lead to mood swings that alter depressive symptoms into manic and vice versa.
Common Bipolar Triggers That Can Cause an Episode
There are numerous triggers that can result in a bipolar disorder episode. These range from behavioral, emotional, physical, and situational. Though experiencing a trigger may not always lead to an episode, it is good to know what your own triggers are and how you respond.
How Rest Impacts Bipolar Stability
Mood regulation is extensively tied to adequate sleep. When you don’t get proper rest, the brain doesn’t have enough time to rejuvenate cells. This includes areas of the brain that directly impact emotions and mood. This is why it is important to get proper rest when living with bipolar disorder to maintain a baseline instead of triggering an episode.
At the same time, bipolar disorder can also interrupt sleep, making rest more difficult. Studies have found that specifically during depressive episodes, fragmented REM sleep, shorter REM latency, higher REM density, and frequent awakenings were common. During manic episodes, shortened REM latency, more stage I sleep, increased REM density, disrupted sleep continuity, reduced total sleep time, and prolonged periods of wakefulness in bed were prevalent. Managing sleep when an episode is already occurring may be difficult. If you are having trouble sleeping, talk with your doctor about possible solutions.
Clashing Words: The Hidden Impact of Arguments and Conflict
Experiencing an argument or conflict is already stressful, and in those with bipolar disorder, it can be especially triggering. When mood is unregulated, the emotional response to an argument will heighten. This makes it more difficult to respond rationally, furthering mood disarray. The intense reaction can increase the risk of a relapse in an episode and can result in either mania or depression.
Seasons of Change: Why Weather Can Influence Mood Swings
Weather changes can influence mood swings in different ways. When seasons change, the days become shorter, limiting the amount of sunlight each day. This can cause vitamin D levels to drop, increasing depressive symptoms. Less sunlight also leads to increased melatonin levels, which can also exacerbate depressive symptoms.
One study found that treatment admissions for bipolar disorder were most prevalent in the spring/summer, early winter, and early spring. The admissions were for all types of episodes including manic, depressive, and mixed/unspecified. This shows how climate and weather can have an impact on those with bipolar disorder.
As we mentioned above, sleep can be a trigger of a bipolar disorder episode. As seasons change, the amount of daylight and nighttime hours also vary and can disrupt sleep patterns. Adjusting to the new season can cause sleep disturbances resulting in triggering an episode.
The Role of Alcohol and Substances in Bipolar Episodes
Alcohol and substance use can trigger increasing bipolar disorder episodes through different methods. Alcohol itself is a depressant, and drinking too much can aggravate depressive symptoms. However, many of those living with bipolar disorder use drinking as a way to self-medicate. In the long run, alcohol will continue to make symptoms of depression and mania worse, and can even trigger psychosis.
A study showed that substance use disorders are prevalent among those with bipolar disorder. Though the connection is understudied, those with bipolar disorder who also engaged in substance use were more likely to have an earlier onset of symptoms and a worsening course of the condition. This also leads to a greater risk of hospitalization treatment resistance. Bipolar disorder causes mood dysregulation, and substances cause an even worse imbalance.
Those taking medications for their bipolar disorder can also have a negative reaction to adding alcohol or substances. Your medication causes effects as do alcohol and substances. These can interfere and make your medications less effective, trigger a bipolar episode, and can also increase the risk of an overdose. Talk to your doctor about how your medications will interact with other substances before trying to mix them.
Pregnancy and Navigating Mental Health
Pregnancy affects hormone levels and can cause shifts in mood. Regulating emotion is challenging for those with bipolar disorder, and having excess hormones and changes in the body can trigger an episode. If you are already managing bipolar disorder, your treatment team will help you with strategies to keep symptoms in check throughout pregnancy.
Coping with the Triggering Effects of Stress and Grief
Stressful life events can throw a curveball when you are not prepared to catch it. These can include losing a job, breaking up with a partner, moving to a new city, and more. Anytime added stress is put on your shoulders, emotions and mood can vary. Events such as these cause stress hormones to elevate, can change sleep patterns, and can cause inflammation, all of which can trigger a bipolar episode.
Grief is a very complex and debilitating emotion. Although not classified as depression, experiencing grief can start a depressive episode that can compound on top of the feelings of loss. You may feel excessive guilt or shame if you are not given the time to grieve properly, further worsening symptoms.
Studies have linked grief with inducing mania as well. The sense of a loss of control and social support can lead to manic episodes as well as increased depression. Those who experienced hypomania were seen to have a defense reaction, triggering new social interactions. Mania after grief was seen to cause disinhibited and risky behavior, which can lead to the loss of important relationships.
Understanding and Managing Your Triggers
The first step in understanding your triggers is to learn them. This can be done by taking note of your mood, when fluctuations occur, and what is happening when they do. There are various mood tracker apps, such as eMoods, where you can log symptoms and learn patterns. It is specifically designed for bipolar disorder as well as depression and anxiety disorders. You can also track your moods and triggers via pen and paper through journals. These can be found on sites like Amazon and Etsy.
Once you start getting a grasp on what your triggers are, you can begin working to manage them. Be sure to bring up your triggers with your care team as they can help you with techniques to develop coping skills. Some ways to manage triggers on your own include:
Sticking to your routine: Variation in routine can trigger a mood shift. Try to stay on track by going to bed at the same time each night, eating meals around the same time, and keeping to any schedule you have made.
Taking medications as prescribed: Medications can help manage your symptoms. By stopping medications, you are at risk for triggering episodes. This can be dangerous and send you into a state of mania abruptly, which is serious.
Gathering a support system: Beyond your care team, having the support of friends and loved ones can help when you experience a trigger. Make sure you trust them and are willing to open up about your feelings to them.
Implement healthy habits: Getting a good night’s sleep, exercising, and eating a balanced diet will all help with mood regulation.
Getting Help for Bipolar Disorder in Tampa, FL
Living with bipolar disorder can have you worried about encountering a trigger, making you miss out on important life events. The good news is that bipolar disorder treatment is available and can help you understand and manage your triggers, getting you back to enjoying your time with loved ones. Through therapy, skill-building classes, medications, and wellness techniques, you will have all the tools needed to keep your bipolar disorder in check. Even if an episode happens, your care team will be there every step of the way to adjust treatment with your goals in mind.
Are bipolar triggers keeping you or your loved one at bay? Clean Recovery Centers offers a unique, three-phase approach to bipolar disorder treatment, ensuring all of your needs are met by our compassionate staff. You will receive extensive therapies including rapid-resolution therapy to address past trauma. Call us today at (888) 330-2532 to learn more about our program offerings.
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