I did participate in this study if it is the same one. The one I did was through universities throughout the country & they were wanting to interview & take blood tests from people who were dxed with bipolar & had family members with bipolar or diagnosed mood disorders. In my case, my mother had bipolar & both my children have mood disorders (depression though my daughter may have developed into bipolar as it looks like she is having some hypo mania).

It's been quite awhile but I seem to remember about 4-5 interviews (over the phone as the university was about a 2-hour drive, if closer it would have been done in person) lasting about 2 hours each, though the woman gave me the opportunity at any time to stop & reschedule to continue if I decided I had had enough for that session.

She was very polite & warm & scheduled the phone calls at my convenience. The questions did deal a lot with my background & my experiences with my mother, what I remember of her behavior & the treatment she received & ultimate result (suicide), then my own experiences & struggles, treatment, successes & ones that were not so successful (be prepared with a list of meds you have tried!!! Trying to remember them all was hard. I had to have her name them & I then would say "yes, yes, yes, yes" to pretty much all of them except MAOI's & no ECT's--unlike my mother).

She asked how I felt about my role raising my children, what did I do wrong or right, how did my illness affect my abilities as a mother, as a wife, as an employee, student, really all aspects of my life.

How I am doing now. At that time I was doing pretty well. I thought I was the "poster child (well, middle-aged woman)" for bipolar since I had been stable for 5 years. I was complacent.

They sent a script for me to go to the local hospital & get a blood test. Very easy. I think they paid $75.00 or $100.00 for your time.

She called back after about 6 mos. & I was no longer a "poster anything" as I had had a relapse & overdose.