I have Bipolar I (and a few side effects from it). My uncle was severely schizophrenic, my grandfather had Bipolar I, and my Aunt had a depressive disorder. One of my brothers suffers from major depression. My other brother has some pretty big mental issues but we can't convince him to see someone about it (he is 38).

I hear varying accounts about the genetic link with Bipolar/Schizo. Most of them seem to be converging towards: THERE IS A HEREDITARY COMPONENT. My example, is purely anecdotal and does not prove anything.

I have read that there is no single gene that has been isolated.

I did not know this. Could you provide a reference? I would love some extra reading.

My understanding, as with so many other things, is that there are so many grey areas. There is no black and white. You may be predisposed to developing this imbalance of chemical production and regulation that we call bipolar disorder I/II. You could be born with this, but by life's circumstances, not develop enough of the conditions to fall under the category of BP I/II.

The example I've heard before related this to Diabetes. People are born with certain predispositions. Some will easily develop it later in life. This susceptibility is genetic, among other things. Lifestyle or life events may also bring on the onset of diabetes. The continuous "misuse" of the body's organs and systems leads to hard-to-reverse or irreversible condition.

Bipolar I/II is "almost" like that. Some exceptions being:
- one single life event could "trigger" BP. All of a sudden, your brain may not be able to regulate these chemicals. Leave it untreated and it can get worse. The worse it gets, the more your brain will have problems getting back to a more normal state.
- Sometimes, regardless of what you do, it just starts to develop. Unregulated chemicals create a mess, this mess causes life messes, which in turn make your chemicals go all over the places, and the cycle continues.

And once you see the first symptoms (don't jump the gun) there are things you can do to decrease the probability of a quick progression of the illness. You can stabilize earlier, rather than later. It's not 100%. But it beats waiting around to see what happens.

I fear for my daughter given my family's history of mental illness AND my wife's. We gave her a raw deal. But it's not all doom and gloom. I am a successful professional and have embraced the positive side of Bipolar Disorder. The creativity and even the mania have helped me achieve many things. It is now controlled so I am not sure what will happen. I am on four medications, almost at full strength, and it does numb the power I used to feel. The alternative (pre-meds), although fantastic at points, is not worth the negative and disastrous effects on my life.