Probably. The Pdoc told me I'd probably had it most of my life but it went undiagnosed. I was always moody and aggressive as a teen so I guess maybe I was bipolar back then

always, moody, anger issues hell control in general issues, easily lost focus, no attention span, times of high creativity and high activity, couldn't sit still, bouts of depression, frustration. Same symptoms as now basically, but more out of control

sorry, by always I mean I don't remember a time when I didn't have some symptoms, maybe before age 4 or 5

I was diagnosed about a month ago (I am 38). I have been very reflective since the diagnosis, and yes, I think I've been BP my whole life. I remember depressive times, and I remember manic times as early as, probably, age 9 or 10.

A child psychologist friend told me they are diagnosing more and more BP kids. I asked if that was b/c there are more BP kids. He said no, they just know what to look for now. Fewer misdiagnoses of ADHD or unipolar depression. Such a relief.

I know i have been my whole life. as a kid I was very mad at everything, really bad in school not learning ,but being there was hard. ya i know its been here my whole life , if i really think back

Me too Erogers, only mine was the piano - I still pound out frustration that way, when I get it out I sink

Yes I am fighting this BP. Ever since I was very young. Never got really bad until my boyfriend of two years made me have an abortion. I was 4 months along and at 14 or 15, that was quite a blow. I wanted the baby. I think that is what made it so hard.

After that, our relationship went to hell. I would not admit it was over and went quite nuts. This was the first time I had to go to the hospital. Very manic and having hallucinations, voices, etc... My sister tells me they almost lost me! She said my heart stopped and they had to revive me. She also said that I was talking in tongs and at this time she also told me I had accused my father of molesting me too. I accused my mother of abuse and being an alcoholic. I never remembered the thing about my father until I ended up in the hospital again in 2004. I had a vision of what he had done to me and I do remember it now. Only in my vision though. I was not doing drugs either. It was this disease. At that time they did not diagnose me as BP. I think I spent about a month there in the hospital Children's Psych ward. And this was the first year they started a Psych floor for kids. I remember it was nice. Met a lot of nice people there.

when i was 10 i stole about 250 from my parents, went out and blew it all on toys.

There was times I would tell my mum i was sick so i didn't have to go to school, i didn't know i was depressed but looking back i definately was. I would just spend days in bed even as young as 8 or 9.

Decided at 12 that i wanted to go to boarding school, pushed my parents to let me go. I was always a homely girl, getting homesick if i stayed away from home for 1 night, so for me to go to boarding school was totally out of my character. At the time I HAD to go, it was vitally important that I went. (no idea why!) wwent, hated it, spiralled into depression and left after 2 years, resulting in a deep depression lasting about 6 months.

My mum had told me I've been like it since I was about 4.

On my 6th birthday, my sister threw me a huge party, photographer and all.
I went out in the hallway because I felt so unloved and so alone and so unwanted. It was actual physical pain. It's the pain I feel now when I get suicidal.
And I also got angry that day. I wanted to be left alone but I didn't want to be left alone.

Lots and lots of huge temper tantrums. When I got mad, I used to scratch my face until it was red and bleeding. I always got in trouble at elementary school and had to go to the principal's office. I used to hide a lot and started masturbating multiple times a day from a very young age. I also had severe separation anxiety when it came to my parents. Whenever they left I would just sob thinking that they weren't coming home. I was also SCARED out of my mind when there was a storm.

ya i didnt let my rent go i hated when i had to stay home alot. when i was 6 to 12 i told my mom i had headeahs alot and i aways got very mad for no reson i felt alone alot when i wasnt. i had anxity every night cuz my mom worked at a bar in the nite and my dad was a sleep.. ( i guess i was spossed to be too )

i was dianosed at 12 so i guess i was as young as 5

i went from being ecstatically spastic to being sad & weepy on a dime.

was very aggressive at times, hitting my best friends for no reason.

could never control my tears - still can't.

could actually feel my heart physically breaking when i felt unloved.

overly [by my mother's standards] sensitive & emotional.

when up, i was the life of the playground.

when down, i was darker that the blackest rain cloud.

but how do we know which are normal ups nd downs?

yeh...the million dollar question really isn't it..which bits are the normal bits