I am extremely confident that my biological mother is bipolar. I lived with her until I was 13, I have witnessed her mood swings and acknowledged her addiction to pain killers. Her side of the family is rife with addiction issues, which (maybe) runs in families side by side with mental illness.

I am SO glad that I ended up living with my father when I was 13. I would have probably been a despicable person by now, the way that my mother was letting me live (terrible diet, no hygiene, she offered me drugs, etc). If my mother has never sought treatment for herself, how could I have expected to get treatment as I need it? My adoptive mother is a neuroscientist and wrote a dissertation on depression and PTSD in rats. She champions me seeking treatment. I am very fortunate because of that.

Sidenote: About being offered drugs by my biological mother: Thank god that I have always had the fear of putting substances in my body and my mind that allowed me to refuse to take anything from her.... And yet, here I am, desperate enough that I take meds now. : \