Bipolar Support Group

This theory makes sense to me. I know many people with bipolar who also have PTSD -- myself included. I experienced 4 different kinds of trauma from age 7-18 and my tdoc thinks that this is what caused me to start showing clear signs of bipolar when I was 20. I also had my first manic/psychotic episode right after my mother passed away from pancreatic cancer.

Since I'm adopted, I don't know whether or not there is any genetic predisposition of bipolar or other mental illness in my family. I am just starting to consider the possibility of searching for my birth mother so I can receive some answers in regards to several health conditions I have including bipolar. The only aspect of my family history that I know of is the presence of diabetes and high cholesterol which my grandmother died from at the age of 44.

Post edited by: neondreams, at: 05/11/2009 08:15 AM

Hey Neo-

I'm adopted too. When people ask me if i want to find my "REAL' mother I always tell them, I can't handle the one I have, why would I want 2?

I defiantly think think there's a predisposition to our condition, whether it be depression or bp. I do believe also that my bp was brought on by a traumatic event- I too suffer from PTSD.

But let's go back to Jenny's point- the environmental factors- there has to be something in the environment causing such increase in the numbers of BP over the last generation- and other mental health disorders, and neurological disorders, auto- immune disorders (an awful lot of you guys have co-morbid dx's of diabetes- how many more have chrones, IBS, lupus, etc)and other neurological disorders in the family-

The monozygotic twin point is an excellent one- there is a huge study underway right now on autism and mono-twins. I have an PhD. retired uncle (physicists) who is doing research on just this subject as well (as it relates to in-utero developental risk factors.

The question remains- will we find answers? I think so- down the road. There are too many disorders that are interconnected.

hate to tell you- of a subset of autistic children- those who are low functioning non-verbal- 70% have a bi-polar parent (not depressed because of their situation- true BP). The research is so hot and heavy right now on autism because of the Huge #s-- I think we will uncover some other useful info along the way.

sorry for the long post.

p

Jenny,

When you think about the odds of getting a mood disorder, our family tree is the place to look for the Jimmy The Greek odds.

There are software packages and services that will assist you in mapping your family. The Mormon Church is one that comes to mind. Once you have your family system and the interconnections drawn, you can find out fascinating information about how people interrelated and who showed signs of mood disorder or other psychological traits. You can be Sherlock Holmes.

When you have the tree drawn, it is a fun topic for conversation with various members of your family to find out what they new about Uncle Zeb or Aunt Bee. If your research is close to the truth and you chart the P's and Q's properly, there are genetic laws of inheritance. The laws work in biology for fruit flies so why shouldn't it also work for fruit cakes?

In my dreams I would take a time machine and go back and have a sit-down talk with the relative that may have been directly responsible for my disorder and have him/her get some therapy?

What are the odds that pigs will fly?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mendelian_inheritance

http://www.freefamilytreecharts.com/

Post edited by: scooby, at: 05/11/2009 01:09 PM

"In my dreams I would take a time machine and go back and have a sit-down talk with the relative that may have been directly responsible for my disorder and have him/her get some therapy?"

you said a mouthful Scooby-

genetically or for any other reason- time travel sure would be fun. I'd sell my soul for the chance...oops, already did that.

p

G'day Scooby, to "he who goes where no man has gone before",

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Yeap have done the family tree thingo searching for the nasty relative(s) who gave away their genes or set up an enviorment so that we decendants would get various disorders. Such as Bipolar, ADHD, GAD, OCD, learning difficulties, dyslexia and must not forget Tourettes (son).

.

Really I have no time for my ancestors who delighted in passing on their genes to we decendants. Meaning they should have been a little more careful who they mated with. They were not a selfish bunch when it came to handing out various disorders. But fortunatley they did at least give some of us above average intelligence.

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Unfortunately all of the generation before me are no longer alive, the same for my older siblings. Only have younger sister who is somewhat off this planet and did not observe much at all when we were young, so she is of no assistance.

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Like you I would like to go back and visit with some of my anceters. So far they have not gone to their future and visited me, which is a good thing.

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So have had to go a good bit of guessing, and searching memory. Don't think that Mendal and Thomas Morgan in their messing with fruit flies would have released me from my decendants. But rather put a lid on my coffin. Could never understand how they liked breeding maggots. Uck.

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You are quite right re "fruit cakes", there are great diferences between each and every cake I bake. Never one the same. A 100% mutation rate (P=.01 hum or P=.00)?.

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You sound a bit more cheerful, which is great.

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JennyWren

P.S. Saw the new Star Trek yesterday. A great movie. They sure did a good job of it. Best I have seen fo a long time.

Post edited by: jennywren, at: 05/11/2009 06:26 PM

Post edited by: jennywren, at: 05/12/2009 03:54 AM

Neondreams: "hate to tell you- of a subset of autistic children- those who are low functioning non-verbal- 70% have a bi-polar parent (not depressed because of their situation- true BP). The research is so hot and heavy right now on autism because of the Huge #s-- I think we will uncover some other useful info along the way."

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Yeap have read the above quote above or a similar one myself, and some of those kids with comorbid Bipolar and autism can and do have a sub average intelligence. Again 70% of them if I remember correctly.

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Thus puts paid to the view that those with Bipolar Disorder all have higher than average intelligence as most think. We have various levels of intelligence.

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Think I have mentioned this before?

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JennyWren

Post edited by: jennywren, at: 05/12/2009 03:58 AM

pj,

I'd love to locate my natural mother because not only can she provide the answers I'm looking for, but perhaps we can connect with each other in a way that my adoptive mother and I never did until after she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I'm very interested to find out whether or not mental illness exists in my family. I'd also like to know of any problems concerning blindness and deafness. I was born totally blind due to retinopathy of prematurity (in other words, my retinas detached after birth) and my deafness was caused by premature birth complications, ototoxic drugs given to me while in the neonatal ICU, antibiotics for ear infections during my infancy, childhood and teenage years as well as years of untreated allergies. There are a host of questions I have and I think I'm ready to find the answers.

"Neondreams: "hate to tell you- of a subset of autistic children- those who are low functioning non-verbal- 70% have a bi-polar parent (not depressed because of their situation- true BP). The research is so hot and heavy right now on autism because of the Huge #s-- I think we will uncover some other useful info along the way."

This is an interesting statistic. I wonder if the same applies to children who have learning disabilities due to other factors such as premature birth?

Post edited by: neondreams, at: 05/11/2009 05:21 PM

I was sitting here reading all of this and trying to figure out how to even put my family into words. I don't need any fancy computer gizmo to do the mapping of the tree, I know it. I knew my great, great grand parents on my mother's side. I am relatively close to 3rd and 4th cousins. This is all on my mother's side. I know almost nothing of my father's side. But of my mother's side, I know the genetic code. They are all nuts. They're alcoholics, to start with. God knows what they're hiding with that. There's OCD, PTSD, GAD, ADHD, depression, bipolar (me), who knows what else. We're all fruit cakes and we marry fruit cakes. But we are generally highly intelligent and most of us are highly functional (I'm the exception). I would love to see our genetic family tree, that would really be interesting. I watch my two young kids with an eagle eye waiting to see what's going to develop. My 10 year old has ADHD. My 22 year old is treated for depression but goes for days on end without sleeping and having high energy. Sound familiar? So far my 8 year old daughter seems perfect. She'll probably fall apart as a teenager.

Neo- LD's are extremely high among adopted children. I don't remember the exact statistic but it's over 60%.