[czarina1984]

I've heard that bipolar can be triggered in adolescents and kids by traumatic experiences. Does anyone have experience with that or know of an instance?

I'm wondering if the abuse I suffered as a kid tore something wide open that was only a minor issue and I wouldn't have been this severe on the scale if it hadn't happened.

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[hahayeahtotallylol]

Interesting question.. because i don't think anyone knows exactly what causes it

BP is partly genetic, so it can happen without abuse

But, i do think that "unstable" family life can make it more likely to happen, or make it worse.

I also think emotional abuse could be more highly correlated to BP than physical abuse, just because it is so confusing and hard to pinpoint. Very inconsistent, kind of a mind fuk

My family was very loving for the most part, and would praise me even, but other times would completely ignore me.

[HALLIEBETH87]

The first pdoc to dx me with bp told me the same thing. I'm a survivor if emotional/verbal abuse and also have PTSD and bpd. No one in my family is bp

[Nammu]

I had trauma. I was first diagnosed PTSD at 26-27 then co-morbid depression, then a few years later they changed it to c-PTSD and BP.......the PTSD is now much much better and the BP is also better controlled now that I have the PTSD under control.

[Wander]

My T and pdoc believe my trauma triggered or at least worsened the bipolar but I would have been genetically susceptible first. Like side stepper I had to sort through the PTSD before we could properly tackle the bipolar. I used to have a diagnosis of PTSD, Borderline Personality Disorder and Major depression. After years of therapy the PTSD is under control and BPD symptoms disappeared. It was only then that I was diagnosed with bipolar as it had been missed in the mess trauma left. Now it is abundantly clear I have bipolar as my moods shift with no trigger.

[PumpkinPieHead]

I've read about this pretty extensively. There are scholarly articles you can pull up on ol' google.

I've read about thelink between traumaand schizophrenia, and from what i've read, no "real" (controlled and all that jazz) study has been conducted, although some of the morecasual studies do establish a link.

I blame trauma for some of my mental illness, however, there is also a family history there. It'sinteresting stuff.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

PTSD made it take a long time for me to be diagnosed and that caused me to go through many, many ADs which I was told at the beginning did harm in terms of increasing rapid cycling. I've asked different drs. about my history of abuse and bipolar and most (all? I don't remember any disagreeing) have agreed that it made the severity worse although genetically the risks were very high (my father and maternal grandmother are/were bipolar and probably several other people on my father's side--it was almost unlikely that none of my 3 siblings and I would not have bipolar). I did an intense PTSD (I have what is called c-PTSD on here although nobody has ever discussed that with me in real life) therapy several years ago and my bipolar became less extreme. I still have severe bipolar and this year I've added psychosis (in the past it was minor but there sometimes; now it is a much bigger presence and much worse). Even this long, horrible year where I've never been out of an episode is better than a comparable year would have been before the PTSD therapy. Before PTSD treatment in 2012 I would have been IP several times this year instead of once.

[CopperStar]

My honest belief is that it's extremely common for people with trauma issues to be misdiagnosed with mental illnesses. Not trying to invalidate anyone, but that is just my honest belief. I question my two BP diagnoses all the time, because I also fit the diagnostic criteria for like 5 other disorders and had a very messed up childhood.

[PumpkinPieHead]

Originally Posted by CopperStar

My honest belief is that it's extremely common for people with trauma issues to be misdiagnosed with mental illnesses. Not trying to invalidate anyone, but that is just my honest belief. I question my two BP diagnoses all the time, because I also fit the diagnostic criteria for like 5 other disorders and had a very messed up childhood.

Very good point. Thanks for sharing.

I will say from my own personal experience (and i have a large sample, 8 siblings) that psychosis is present in some and not others. The trauma alspo varied. I've always thought we would make a great case study, in a morbid way.

I'm the result of rampant trauma (emotional, physical, mental, sexual) at a very young age, and I'd swear I had my first bipolar switch at 5-6 years old...or it was an other? At early twenties I was dealing with C-PTSD.

You can see in my signature what all that love has done to my psyche.

I have two other siblings and one has troubles with anxiety and the other one is skitzo. I'm the only one though that has broken all family records in mental health.

I see trauma and stress as a trigger for the bipolar gene to activate. Didn't have a chance.

[Nike007]

Hello. From what I know about my friend, all her mental health was triggered because of stress. It started off with 9/11. It took her a few years to seek services though. She had much stress in for the next few years. Once she did seek services, they first DXed her with GAD and depression, but the medication wasn't working for her. Then I think a few months later, she had her first manic episode with psychosis. I am pretty sure that is the only one she has had, because medication has completely stopped it now and is fine. I'm am pretty sure it wasn't triggered in her adolescents. Her manic episode was in her mid 30s. I know her dad and her sister both have bipolar too.

Also, I am not 100% sure the order of events, but I know major life stress triggered mania with psychosis.

Social anxiety disorder, GAD, OCD, and panic attacks

Lexapro, 10 mg

[Pikku Myy]

I went thru my major drama at age 7 and again at age 12. It set the tone, but was not diagnosed until 40 years later.

[czarina1984]

I was sexually and physically abused by my father from the age of 3 on. We did a cross country move at 11 and that's when the bipolar symptoms started. I think being under that much mental stress from abuse plus the genetic link (mother), the added stress of leaving anything I knew and any safety I had disappeared and my brain just broke.

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[Wander]

I just want everyone to know I hurt thinking of all the trauma you have all been through. It makes me sad and angry. I really wish everyone some hope, peace and joy.

[Cocosurviving]

I was sexually abused by a cousin. But I don't think it caused my BP1. On my mom and dad's side of the family there is BP, Schizoaffect and schizophrenia. I have 4 sisters and 3 have BP. Three of my sisters didn't grow up in the same house with me. I had a hysterectomy in 2011. After my surgery the moods began. I was first dx with PTSD, depression and adjustment disorder. Then in 2012 I had my first manic episode. I stayed manic til a friend told me I was acting different. I meant to get a second opinion just didn't right away. I got another opinion and I was dx BP1, panic attacks and anxiety. Once I was on the right BP meds I felt better. Then I started having other symptoms and was dx Schizoaffect. I know my dxs are correct I was a mental health social worker by trade. I was so sick I couldn't see what was right in front of me. My work performance started going down. I was being called in to meeting abt it. Finally I was so manic at work (homicidal) I was threatening to kill people at work. I was fired and that was my last job.

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[marmaduke]

Childhood abuse is a big factor in mental ill health IMO

Take anorexia, all the people I've known with it had dysfunctional familes or, as in my mother's case a PD.
Mother was NPD and a control freak. Food was strictly controlled, every move watched.
Mother had not been abused though, she inherited NPD. She was exactly like her father.

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