Hello parents.. I'm so glad to have found this.
Here is my story... my husband is bipolar, and his father was schizophrenic and mother struggles with depression. I have a panic disorder that was inherited from my grandmother. That is a whole other support group! 
In general I'm a happy, mellow and patient person and always have been. There are days when it's hard to be the only (semi) normal one in a house but I love my family.
Our beautiful daughter began exhibiting unusual behaviors at around 9 months of age. By 18 months, she was banging her head on the floor, biting, hitting, having out-of-body tantrums that lasted for hours that made me wonder if I should call a priest for an exorcism. She has always had difficulty sleeping and regular night terrors. Between the tantrums, she is so sweet, bright, extremely sensitive and intuitive. She also has moments where she will delight and amuse everyone in a room with her silly antics (which now I see is mania).
I have always practiced 'attachment' parenting with her, extended nursing, co-sleeping, etc. I didn't know if it was this or her nature that has given her such bad separation anxiety. She goes to "school" three days a week adn each morning it is a nightmare to get her to go in. After she is in, she is fine. She is extremely well behaved in the class (it is a Montessori program) and has been described as "the quietest kid in the class by far" by her teacher. She has difficulty socially but has one good friend in the class.
When she turned three I brought her to a psychologist who diagnosed her with ODD and sent us to a family therapist. Our therapist has sent us to a physician to test for developmental delays (spectral Autism) which were dismissed. She says that it is too early to diagnose her with BD. I have not pursued it because I am afraid. I do not want to face the future of raising a child with this disorder. I do not want to think that she will have to be on meds all of her life, like her father, and struggle with interpersonal relationships. I want her to be normal, to grow up and be well adjusted, caring, and successful. I do not want my child to have a label.
Recently it has become more obvious that there is something going on with her. I know what it is and I just do not want to do anything about it because I'm so scared. She is incredibly irritable, constantly telling my husband and I that she hates us. Today after an embarrassing tantrum at a restaurant with friends, I carried her back to the car where she continued to scream, try to hit and scratch at me and tell me that when she gets big she is going to run away, steal cars, drive them fast and crash, and kill people with guns. How does she even know what this stuff is? She is four and we are very vigilant about keeping violence out of the home!
I am hoping to find some success stories on this board. I know that it is going to be hard. I have been thinking of taking her to my acupuncturist for help as a first line. Are doctors even allowed to prescribe drugs to children that young?
Sometimes she tells me "I dont' know why I get so mad all the time Mommy. My mind just tells me to do it." It's moments like these that break my heart.
Anyway, thanks for hearing my story. I am going to search out some happy successes here. I know that each child has so much potential to offer the world, and I know that as parents we can help them become the best that they can be.
