I have two girls, ages 8 and 10.

I love my kids, but it is so hard being a bipolar parent. Parenting is hard enough, but I think it is particularly hard when you have bipolar disorder. My daughters are very close to me, but they also worry about me. They will comfort me if they happen to see me cry, but they shouldn’t have to do that to their mom. I’m supposed to be the one giving comfort. I don’t handle stress very well, and parenting is stressful, so sometimes it’s hard to keep it together. Like today. But my husband will help if I need him to.

I know I lose my temper more than I should, my mood swings are very obvious. And I just pray my children won’t grow up with ill effects because of my illness. They are adopted, so I’m not worried about them inheriting it from me (although I do keep an eye on my 10 year old because she has always had some mood issues). But I worry my chaotic mental state will cause them to have issues as they get older. It is always a worry of mine.