Hi BC, wow, Darkeyes nailed it. So succinctly in fact, I wonder what i'm doing except maybe to garble it up some with sqrl chatter.

The genetic thing is real, and it makes me wonder what your impressions of your parents might be. I mean, really, you have enough concern to warrant seeking out some pro advice, and I think in your position I would do that. But back to the genetic thing, if your parents are your biological parents, and in studying them you find nothing like bipolar symptoms about them, it would seem unlikely to me that you just out of the blue turn out to be bipolar. This is purely anecdotal, of course, but I've never met a bipolar yet without one or the other parent affected. But hey, bipolar schmipolar, just a word. You want to know WHAT is wrong not that THAT (bp) is what is wrong. Best way to do that is get with a pro. Lay it all out.

Good luck BC, you show a lot of insight. That is what will help you the most with whatever it is.