5 common bipolar disorder triggers and what you can do

Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that’s characterized by mood swings ranging from depressive lows to manic or hypomanic highs. The condition may look a little different for everyone, but learning to recognize your bipolar triggers can empower you to feel more in control of your symptoms and overall quality of life. Rula explores common triggers and strategies for managing them.

Key Takeaways

• If you have bipolar disorder, identifying your triggers can help you manage symptoms and future episodes.
• Common triggers for depressive, manic, or hypomanic episodes include stress, sleep disturbances, and seasonal changes.
• Therapy can help you recognize your triggers so you can develop healthy coping mechanisms for those thoughts, feelings, and circumstances.

What triggers bipolar disorder?

Bipolar episodes can occur at random, but they’re often associated with specific circumstances. By identifying these thoughts, feelings, and events, you can learn to better manage situations that are known to cause symptoms.

Some of the most common bipolar disorder triggers include:

1. Stress

Negative or stressful life experiences, like relationship problems or career changes, have been shown to trigger mood episodes — especially among people with bipolar I disorder. Adverse childhood experiences, like abuse, neglect, and household mental health conditions, are also associated with bipolar episodes.

While it’s impossible to completely avoid stress, you can learn to manage the way you handle it. Start by asking yourself what situations make you feel stressed or insecure. From there, you can create a personal tool kit of healthy coping mechanisms, like listening to music, taking a walk, or spending time with friends.

2. Lack of sleep

Sleep disturbances are a common symptom of bipolar disorder, but they can also cause manic and depressive episodes. Research has found that sleep loss can trigger manic episodes — especially among people assigned female at birth and people with bipolar I disorder.

If you’re having trouble sleeping, consider what might be impacting your sleep. Maybe it’s too much caffeine or screen time before bed? It’s also important to practice good sleep hygiene, like creating a peaceful sleep environment and a consistent sleep schedule.

3. Seasonal changes

It’s common for people with bipolar disorder to also have seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as seasonal depression. SAD follows a seasonal pattern, characterized by depressive episodes in the fall and winter and mania or hypomania in the spring and summer. Experts don’t know exactly why the weather triggers symptoms, but it may be linked to changes in temperature, sunlight exposure, and daily routine.

For people with bipolar disorder and seasonal depression, one of the best things you can do is follow the same routine year-round. This means sticking to your usual mealtimes, social commitments, and sleep schedule regardless of the season. Research suggests that light therapy can also be helpful for coping with winter depression.

4. Substance use

Drugs and alcohol don’t cause bipolar disorder, but they’ve been shown to worsen symptoms and trigger bipolar episodes. And, unfortunately, it’s common for people with bipolar disorder to have a co-occurring substance use disorder.

Both bipolar disorder and substance use disorders are best managed with professional support, so consider speaking with your therapist about alternative coping mechanisms and resources to help with growth and recovery.

5. Hormonal changes

Hormones can also play a role in triggering bipolar episodes. For example, one study found that people had higher levels of hormones, like testosterone and progesterone, during manic episodes. Another study found that menstruation, childbirth, and menopause are associated with hormonal changes that can worsen symptoms in people assigned female at birth who have bipolar disorder.

Hormonal changes are part of life, but you may want to discuss potential treatment options with your provider if they’re happening more frequently or impacting your quality of life.

Warning signs you may be triggered

It’s common for people with bipolar disorder to have stable periods between manic, hypomanic, or depressive episodes. Also known as bipolar remission, this is when mood symptoms are reduced or absent for at least one week.

There’s no way to predict if and when you’ll experience your next bipolar episode, but you can learn to recognize the warning signs. Changes in your mood, sleep patterns, energy levels, eating habits, or overall behavior can all be signs that you’ve been triggered. It’s also helpful to understand early signs of manic and depressive episodes so you can access the right resources to help you manage symptoms.

With manic episodes, it’s common for people to:

• Have trouble focusing or feel easily distracted
• Engage in risky or impulsive behaviors
• Become fixated on a certain topic or activity
• Feel like they’re invincible
• Talk so quickly that other people notice

Early signs of a bipolar depressive episode may include:

• Low energy and fatigue
• Feelings of shame, guilt, or worthlessness
• Difficulty with focus and concentration
• Trouble falling or staying asleep
• Unintentional changes in weight or appetite

How to manage bipolar triggers

For most people, managing bipolar disorder involves a combination of talk therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), in particular, has been shown to improve depressive and manic symptoms and lead to fewer relapses.

Other effective therapies to treat bipolar disorder include family-focused therapy (FFT), which helps improve communication and reduce stress within the family system, and interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT), which focuses on stabilizing daily routines and relationships to support mood regulation.

Part of treating bipolar disorder involves learning how to recognize and cope with your unique triggers. For example, you might learn to do some deep-breathing exercises and avoid stimulating activities when you’re on the verge of a manic episode. If you’re experiencing depressive symptoms, you might want to spend time in nature or with good friends.

Regardless of your triggers, the following tips can help you manage symptoms of bipolar disorder:

• Track your triggers, warning signs, and moods so you can start to recognize and understand patterns.
• Practice self-care, including a balanced diet, good sleep hygiene, and regular physical activity.
• Connect with your support system for emotional comfort, practical advice, and connection during difficult or distressing moments.

Find care

Whether you’re seeking an initial diagnosis for bipolar disorder or having trouble managing recurrent mood swings, help is available. When it comes to managing conditions like bipolar disorder, learning what triggers your symptoms is an important step in learning how to manage them.

This story was produced by Rula and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.