I would like to know that as well. I think other members of my family have it as well.

The experts believe it runs in families.
My brother dx'd bp 1
my daughter dx'd bp 2
me....Im bp 2
I believe my father has it and I believe his mother had it.
COINCIDENCE?

I think that my brother, sister and mother have it, but no-one wants to admit to it. LOL.

It's strongly genetic. Some interesting studies with twins out there. Seems to be that ALL mental illnesses cluster together: BP people have lots of close relatives with different types of BP, lots with depression; they also see family members with something they call "hyperthymia," which they say is just a radically, noticeably rapid, high-energy, super-productive personality (my mother is like being around a hummingbird and is insanely productive; my dad has severe depression; my uncle has BP I, as do I). Also, weirdly, they see a lot of alcoholics clustered around BP people (and then again, a lot of BP people have problems with substances). Wish I were a geneticist.

I don't know if my Mom was ever diagnosed but she's very depressive. Her family all had obvious problems and some of my cousins have been hospitalized. My sister is diagnosed schizophrenic, while my diagnosis is manic-depressive. I recognized the genetic component of mental illness long ago!

Wow, so many people say genetics but you have to look at family upbringing and circumstance the people in my family DX'ed with mental illness were also all raped as young children and that lead to physical and emotional abuse by the parent to the child.

In My case my brother K. Has no Mental illness and was never abused and or raped

My sister T. was raped as a teenager and has BPD PTSD

My Brother D. was raped at age 5 and is schizophrenic PTSD

My Father D. was raped repeatedly by neighbor from age 10-12

My Grandmother Dad's mom was also raped repeatedly and had PTSD BPD SCHIZOPHRENIA and the Manic Depression

Mom and her parents have zero Hx abuse and zero Hx of mental illness

So I am not sure what to tell you... all the rapes in my family were by outsiders with the exception of me it was my mother's brother and to this day they don't know why supposedly he has no mental illness.

I was told had I not been raped if I developed BP it would not be as exasperated by the other two DX'es.

My kids have no SS of mental illness my Husaband and his family have no HX.

I keep my kids close at hand so that they have less risk of being hurt!!!

We believe my Dad did, my sister-prolly! ;)

My brother is BP, ADHD
My father is BP, ADHD, Alcoholic.....goes one
My grandmother (my fothers mom) is BP with psycotic tendancys and just down right Crazy
My fothers Brothers all have some degree of mental illness

My son is ADHD with conduct disorder

So far my daughter seems 'normal' she is 3 but there are slight hints at ADD fetures... but then she is still just 3

so ya I tend to think its heriditary

my father has it and the doc said that if a parent has it you are at higher risk for it by some percentage or something.

I was abused my father was abused and so where his brothers in some form or anoughter... maybe the mental disabilities leave use more open to abuse (not that its our fault mind you) just as we are more prone to substance abuse (or at least they say we are) I personally dont find Im prone to addiction I tried many substances and none ever clicked and made me want to waste my life and money on them even in my most depressed states.

if u have a sec, read my BP MAGAZINE say so.. post.
it's shown to be hereditary, but not necessarily handed down, and some ppl even have the genes, and it doesnt surface..

I haven't had kids as every other bp person in my family who has, has kids with full-blown bp.

Nobody in my family will admit anything. They believe they are perfect, and I am the f'ed up girl, the black sheep. Well, I got new's for them. They are WRONG. Just wait, they will eventually figure it out when they drive their trucks into oncoming traffic, or cut their arms. Evil bitches.

My relatives don't have to admit anything, they get manic & are hospitalised, makes it simple.

Its definitely hereditary! Everyone on my moms side are BP's or schizophrenics