Neither of my parents was an alcoholic although they were both dysfunctional they tried their best and were products of there time. The silent generation. My father saw a lot in WW II and it made him a better man. I think humans are fortunate to be born “typical “ at all the great number of things that can go wrong genetically is enormous. I think some are born with a weaker lining and life events can trigger problems. I blame the measles. It was traumatic and left me deaf after I learned to speak but before I was of an age to articulate the loss of sound. It was my grandmother who noticed I could no longer hear. I was mainstreamed but without any special service except that I sit in the first row and have a speech therapist I was very isolated by this. Back then the expert advice was no sign language, forced speech. This was the alternative being sent away to boarding school. I believe both the devastation of the decease and the isolation from not hearing the little things that socialize us is part of my bipolar. Of course I have an aunt, cousins and a nephew that have bipolar too so there is that genetic component there,