I know somebody who was brilliant (I mean brilliant as hell) as well until the age of about 20. He started suffering from bipolar disorder later on (at about 23

I know somebody who was brilliant (I mean brilliant as hell) as well until the age of about 20. He started suffering from bipolar disorder later on (at about 23). Between that age he was registered at university but was not attending it. Instead he was partying all the time. I noticed him acting odd first when he came back from a trip to the other side of the world - my impression was that the jet-lag in combination with alcohol consumption and the realization that other people made a lot of progress during the years he was partying helped initiating the illness. I think summarized the factors were lack of sleep, alcohol, stress and high vulnerability due to inheritance. Therefore I think the best way to prevent this illness is: - Avoid stress, especially in your 20's - Try to have an ordered life - Get enough sleep - Avoid too much alcohol consumption - Do sports (rarely a mistake I assume) - Take jet-lags seriously I am not sure if drugs (from the trip to the other side of the world) were involved. It is possible but I doubt it.