BP: developmental disorder?

Do you think BP should be considered a developmental disorder, a disorder which you are born with even though it may only fully present itself after many years?

I believe people are born with this and are more likely to end up with BP. I also think we can be born with a higher chance to substance abuse. Studies did show that alcoholism changes your DNA therefore it can be passed to your children. I also think environmental issues play a role in bringing out MI. Just like how they say that people with schizophrenia became that way after a major trauma. I think we are born with a higher chance of becoming MI and a trauma in life can "wake it up" in us. That's my case at least.

I agree with RxQueen. I think people are born with BP and that the MI "reveals itself" once something triggers it.

In the same vein, I believe that people who carry genes for BP may never experience BP because nothing triggers the disorder. However, that logic implies those with BP genes can pass down those genes and that's why some people appear to have no family history of BP.

Of course, BP is a genetic mutation. The disorder had to have started *somewhere*. So I do think that sometimes people who don't have a family history may have the genetic mutation occur during pregnancy.

Yes. I believe I was born with it.
But I have the feeling that it has something to do with both my parents being alcoholics.
Plus my dad has BP. My mom chronic depression. Heritary?

I have 5 siblings we were all rather "different" from an early age. I remember making a conscious decision to not tell anyone what I thought because it was too wierd when I was 4 years old. We all (siblings) have MI and or substance abuse problems. So yea I Think one can be born with MI.

To me.. 'developmental' infers that something 'happened' during early development (in the womb). This could be a random genetic mutation at conception or some causative factor influenced by the environment. My impression is that bipolar disorder is genetic and inheritable. This, to me, doesn't mean developmental. Can the disorder be cause by environmental influences during development? I'm not sure about that??

My dad has bipolar.. and lots of other 'issues' within my siblings.. alcohol, drug addiction, etc. My dad, however, didn't have issues with addiction. But he definitely went through cycles of major depression and hypomania. And I'm starting to wonder about my mom too now that I know more about this...

My dad is an alcoholic. I was born 9 weeks early when babies rarely lived at that gestation. I know that stress starts an episode for me. Then again, episodes can begin out of the blue too.