My early childhood and home life are complicated. On one hand, I had great parents who put in their best effort, loved us and took care of our needs. Dig a little deeper and their were clear patterns of abuse, both verbal and physical. I have an older brother who is 6 years older than I. He was abusive in various ways. I was always told how lucky I was to have my family, and I agree, but it wasn't perfect. I don't know the roll my childhood had in acquiring BP. I'm sure it played a role, but the illness feels very physical for me, and runs rampant on both sides of my family from people who were raised in different ways than I. I believe my genetic predisposition along with early life trauma combined to cause my BP