Bipolar is caused by what?

Chemical imbalance: Presumably a chemical imbalance in the brain. Has some familial tendencies.

Parental expectation: In addition to the "genetic" component and imbalanced chemicals in the brain, some bipolar patients had parents who had unrealistic expectations of them and "broke their hearts" by appearing to love them more for what they could accomplish than for who they were. "conditional love" hurts and sometimes the price paid by the often talented child will be difficulty following through on "achieving.".

More Than One Cause: Bipolar disorder may have different causes in different individuals. Genetics, environmental influences, structural abnormalities and functional abnormalities the brain have all been linked to this disorder. "a chemical imbalance" is often used to describe a functional problem. Some believe that a series of stressful events, known as "kindling theory", can cause dramatic mood changes in some.

Many factors: No single factor has been identified to cause bipolar disorder but a lot of factors may contribute. A family history of mood or psychotic disorder associated with psychological and social stressors may be triggers. Drugs and other substance use may initiate or worsen the disorder.