[HALLIEBETH87]

Do all of you who have been officially dxd bipolar have family history of it? Because....Im like the only one I know of in my family history with what we know to be bipolar. Theres lots of anxiety. And theres depression but none of this mood swinging business.

That thought brought me to this just now: I always forget that my paternal granddaddy was adopted as an infant. I know next to nothing about his biological mother except that she gave most of her kids up for adoption from one large family and went on to have another large family. We don't know specific reasons at all. In fact, he met many of his biological siblings but they don't know any more than we do. Could it be I have history of this in that side of my family somewhere? Id never thought of it because we never really talk much about how he was adopted. (I *would* have been born a McCoy lol)

My cousin on my mom's side is also adopted and knows nothing about her family history. So I see it so important to pass on family health history if we can. Its hard not to have it. MY cousin is always so sad because she doesn't know it for her daughter, Hallie.

Think its possible I had some bipolar family peeps back in the day? I will never know. For now...Im the only branch in the family tree with that scar.

[~Christina]

I have no family history of Bipolar that I am aware of.. My Daughter has Bipolar.

Of course its possible that somewhere back in your familys history that someone could have had "some kind of illness" but those things were not "talked about" people kept there private things private unlike today where some people post everything about their lives on Facebook and the like.

I think it would be a good idea of starting a history of your family as much as your able..

[lacerta]

Nop, no family history of anything like that. Some of my family members are alcoholics, some are told to be very bad tempered, so I suspect, there's something going on, but nobody actually diagnosed

[Trippin2.0]

I'm the only bipolar, I didn't get it from anybody.


I have a niece (who's more like my sister) who suffers from situational depression and sometimes panic attacks, but idk if she gets that from her father's side (he's not in the picture) or if the both of us are just anomalies... Lucky for her she only deals with her stuff when under extreme pressure, and can forget about it otherwise.


Since I didn't inherit this shyt, I'm hoping I didn't pass it on, but if I did, well then we'll just have to cross that bridge when we get there.

[Crazy Hitch]

Yeah like lacerta said ... Most of my family fell out the cuckoos nest ... But none with a dx of bp.

[HALLIEBETH87]

Yeah I told my gynecologist I many not want to have children (I have PCOS so it will be difficult) because I don't want to pass the potentional of a suffering child. Id feel it was my fault and never forgive myself if my child got it too.

He looked at me and said "Well. that's very sensibleof you."

[~Christina]

Yes .. You could pass it along , but it's not a given, I passed it on and my daughter is doing just fine.

[HALLIEBETH87]

Doesn't matter now anyhow. Im singled for life.

[~Christina]

You do not have a crystal ball so you have no idea how your life is going to be or whom you will meet

[Wander]

My cousin on my fathers side and grandmothers sister on my mothers side both have/had bipolar. There is also a bit of depression floating around too. Apart from one period of time where my Dad was depressed both my parents are incredibly stable people, as is my sister. I just got lucky I guess.

[BlackSheep79]

I was told someone very distant on my dads side of the family was institutionalized, but I don't know what for. Know one has been diagnosed, but I believe my mom's twin brother is bipolar based on his behavior that my mom has described to me. My younger sister has been diagnosed with depression and ADD. I have OCD as well. Interestingly, my mother is a hoarder and my father's mother is a hoarder. So I see where I got the OCD from. I'm choosing to not have children so both illnesses will not be passed on from me, as well as the Crohn's disease that my husband has.

[pink&grey]

I have heard my uncle is bipolar, but I don't really know for sure. The thing about this is that people still don't talk about it. I have told my immediate family, but am I ready or willing to tell my extended family? No no no!!

[BNLsMOM]

My maternal grandfather was diagnosed as bipolar and was a classic case. My paternal grandfather was an alcoholic and committed suicide when my dad was 2, so I am guessing there was some illness there. My sister definitely has some depression and anger issues, but hasn't been diagnosed with anything. There are also some REALLY stable people in my family. I guess I just got lucky. I was diagnosed after my kids were born so I hope and pray they don't get it too. So far so good, but they are just 12 and 7.

[HALLIEBETH87]

Yeah...we have anxiety. My moms depression didn't happen until her MS and its one of her MS symptoms so it doesn't actually count.

So...basically its just me. Unless I have history way way back

[jpb4815]

Originally Posted by HALLIEBETH87

Do all of you who have been officially dxd bipolar have family history of it? Because....Im like the only one I know of in my family history with what we know to be bipolar. Theres lots of anxiety. And theres depression but none of this mood swinging business.

That thought brought me to this just now: I always forget that my paternal granddaddy was adopted as an infant. I know next to nothing about his biological mother except that she gave most of her kids up for adoption from one large family and went on to have another large family. We don't know specific reasons at all. In fact, he met many of his biological siblings but they don't know any more than we do. Could it be I have history of this in that side of my family somewhere? Id never thought of it because we never really talk much about how he was adopted. (I *would* have been born a McCoy lol)

My cousin on my mom's side is also adopted and knows nothing about her family history. So I see it so important to pass on family health history if we can. Its hard not to have it. MY cousin is always so sad because she doesn't know it for her daughter, Hallie.

Think its possible I had some bipolar family peeps back in the day? I will never know. For now...Im the only branch in the family tree with that scar.

Personally I have it on both sides, my moms mom was BP1 and died from it, My dads side two off his brothers are BP. Combine that with the environment I grew up in and you might say that I didn't stand a chance.

[Curious651]

I must be so unique. Older brother bp, older brother schizophrenic, positive father was bp. And positive grandfather was bp looking back. This kind of sucks to be in my family.

[Miss Laura]

I'm the same only person in the family with any mental illness diagnosed. Ye we have loads of anxiety but nothing too serious. I too don't want kids (have never wanted kids... but more so now I got diagnosed)

[echobravo]

I was only diagnosed a few years ago, when I was 22 but I've been bipolar my whole life. It was only after the fact that my father told me he was also bipolar and could tell that I was too. I hated him for a long time and blamed him for my disease and for not telling me and for letting me think that everything I was going through was just me being a horrible person and for a long time I thought that all the suffering I was going through and had gone through could have been prevented.

There is a strong and I mean STRONG genetic link with bipolar disorder but some forms are so mild that they are never diagnosed and because they are so closely linked bipolar people often pass on depression or anxiety disorders instead of the same mood disorder they are suffering from. Like anything I'm sure there are lots of exceptions, but when I was diagnosed one of the first things I thought is that I would never ever want a child to go through what I went through and even though I really want to be a mother, it has put a big weight on all things reproductive.

[HALLIEBETH87]

Originally Posted by Miss Laura

I'm the same only person in the family with any mental illness diagnosed. Ye we have loads of anxiety but nothing too serious. I too don't want kids (have never wanted kids... but more so now I got diagnosed)

I completely understand that!

[hamster-bamster]

My mom had bipolar.

[Victoria'smom]

Un-dx:
Dad - SAD or BP II
MOM-BP
SISTER 2 - BP w / psychosis
Grandma 2- horder
Uncle - off
Aunt - off
Grandpa - BP

Dx:
Grandma -depression
sister 1 BP (schizo affective)
Half brother - schizophrenia
uncle - alcoholic

[notALICE]

Def a family history (dad, died at 31), first cousins on both sides. I wonder though how many were undiagnosed? Rampant "eccentric" and many addictions throughout my family.

To date: BP includes myself, 2 sons, 1 daughter and another daughter-while not diagnosed - has all the signs/symptoms. (Refuses to consider it).

That's the hardest of all. My kids.

[Darvula]

Mental health is often misdiagnosed even today and was very much more so in the past. There are/were numerous people in my family with mental health issues, and in all cases except my mum's it was just diagnosed as "nerves". I think quite a few of them could be BP: my mother, her father, her grandfather, her brother, his two daughters, and numerous other relatives on my mum's side. Mum was diagnosed schizophrenic 30 years ago, but I think she is actually bipolar.

[gayleggg]

No one in my family had it that I know of.

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[tipper1492]

Something about my mom, and I can't say for sure, but there was something. She would not stand to be told anything was wrong with her mind. But I believe also, not too many years back, no one diagnosed with BP or perhaps many other mental disorders. Maybe a BP III will come around some day, or the name changed again. I can not help but feel there were perhaps others in the closet.