Norepinephrine, the neurotransmitter which in excess is associated with mania, agitation, anxiety and fight-flight states and in deficiency associated with depression, and in bipolar likely fluctuating extremely between the two, can be out of sync for a whole variety of reasons.
(Together with Serotonin), Norephinephrine metabolism is also believed to be imbalanced in some people with Tourette's, the condition believed associated with similar metabolic issues at work in Parkinsons and characterized by involuntary movements and vocalisations.
It has recently been realised that bipolar and Tourette's can occur from early infancy and are believed by some researchers to co-occur in those with autism in up to 30% of cases. It is theoretically possible that it may be such a group which may be more susceptible to acute severe episodes or chronic Exposure Anxiety states seen in those with severe or chronic involuntary avoidance, diversion, retaliation responses with retaliation responses sometimes presenting as 'challenging" or "self injurous" behaviours.
For those who are interested particularly in ideas which might reduce severe Exposure Anxiety in some people with autism, high levels of Tyramine is one thing known to cause excessive stimulation of Norepinephrine- the neurotransmitter which in excess is associated with high levels of fight-flight responses. Excess Norepinephrine is believed associated with agitation, acute anxiety and manic episodes. Theoretically, if Norepinephrine was KEPT in an ecessively high state on a chronic level, a person might progressively develop the fight-flight state I call Exposure Anxiety and would likely also progressively exhaust the adrenal glands- in other words, potentially resulting in progressive impairment of immune system function.
I have attached a link to an article about Parkinsons which includes a list of foods high in Tyramine which, if consumed on a regular basis in excess, might, theoretically maintain someone in a high fight-flight state. This MAY potentially be a first step towards looking at a dietary intervention which might reduce chronic and severe Exposure Anxiety, particularly in cases where young children may be too young to be considered for the types of medication known to address this neurotransmitter imbalance in bipolar disorder.
I am not telling anyone to try this diet, merely passing on the information. Anyone thinking of trying a diet low in Tyramine would be best consulting a naturopath, dietician or neurologist knowledgable about the relationship between foods and neurochemistry as well as the relationship between neurochemistry and acute anxiety states.
I hope you find this info interesting. If anyone does decide to trial this diet with anyone with severe chronic Exposure Anxiety (the involuntary avoidance, diversion, retaliation responses associated with a chronic fight-flight state), I'd be interested to know how it went.