What are the odd? -Demystifying Bipolar Disorder

Scientist used to believe that about 2-3 percent of the population suffered from bipolar disorder. Now, the figure applies to the narrow definition of Bipolar I. When you roll in the numbers for Bipolar II, Cyclothymiac disorder and Bipolar NOS, the percentage soars to 5 percent of higher. And that is just for the general population. If your family is genetically loaded with bipolar disorder, your odds of developing it or another psychiatric disorder climb even higher:



· You have 10% percent odds if you have one parent with bipolar disorder.
· You have 20% percent odds or higher if both your parents have bipolar disorder (some studies show that 50 percent of children with bipolar parents may experience some form of cyclic mood disorder)
· You have increased risk for bipolar disorder, recurrent unipolar depression, or schizoaffective disorder if you have a first-degree relative-such as an uncle or aunt, with bipolar disorder.
Studies consistently show that genetic makes up about 75% percent of the cause of Bipolar I disorder. Environmental variation may play a longer role in other bipolar subtypes, but this isn´t clear yet.

Source: Bipolar Disorder, candida Fink, MD, Joe Kraynak