hi wonderlats
i never wanted a family due to the dysfuntion of my own and i didnt want to bring a child up in a world as miserable as my own. i thought i would beat my kids as i was. i didnt even know about the mental illness at the time. but due to the mental illness and self medication with alcohol i became pregnant. i vowed my childrens life would be different. my marriage was a wreck and i raised three kids alone in poverty but they came out great. one is probably bipolar as she was hearing voices in high school. she reports they are gone now and gets manic now and then but not sick like me. i have a friend who got her tubes tied as soon as she could because of what she went thru with her mothers mental illness and she did not want to pass it on. so i see both sides of the coin. i got my daughter help immediately and she knows what to do if she needs help again due to my issues. you can break the cycle and not have to relive the past with your own family. welcome to psych central. you will find we have several forums where you can post about your concerns and receive feedback from other members. you will get a lot of support here. again, welcome