Does Bipolar run in families?

[kelliestarr]

The guy I'm kind of seeing is Bipolar and had ADHD as a kid. His Mother family has a Bipolar history and his father is bipolar.
I'm pregnant and not Bipolar and not ADHD.
No one in my family is bipolar or ADHD.

Will my unborn baby be bipolar? What are the chances?
I am so scared and I'm stressed out about this.

[carabeara]

If you do have a child with bipolar disorder (about 25%,) it's likely that they won't present symptoms until their early 20's.  I think this whole diagnosing under the age of 15 is insane.

[rBoulet]

I have bipolar, my mom has bipolar, my mom's dad was thought to have bipolar but he disappeared in 1974 so we'll never know that family history beyond that point.
But I've heard the same statistics that iladvocate posted on many different websites and books.

[wj74]

I have bipolar and my dad had symptoms of bipolar and is an alcoholic. I have 3 kids and 1 of them is showing some symptoms of it as well but is diagnosed ADHD for now. He does take a mood stabilizer, as do i.

[paranoid_cataclysm]

Just about everyone on my father's side of the family has bipolar disorder.  The others have schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.  I did not develop bipolar disorder even though it runs heavily in that half of my family but instead I was blessed with schizophrenia but I didn't get Scott free of emotional problems as I suffer from a lot of anxiety and being tense most of the time.  Yay.

[booglebabe]

My mum is bipolar, i am bipolar..... Ive 6 children and all are seeming ok atm, the eldest is 13 and the youngest one, there are no signs of behavioural issues in any of them.

[lindahand]

I've seen the same statistics mentioned above. It is scary but remember that now people with bipolar can lead pretty normal lives and that by the time your child would start showing symptoms there will likely be even better medication on the market. There is more of a chance your baby will be born without bipolar disorder.

And remember that bipolar does not affect intelligence, there is some evidence that suggests a higher artistic ability, and we tend to be quite compassionate (at least in my experience) because we know how fragile life can be.

There are aspects of this condition that are pretty scary and I won't tell you there wouldn't be hard times. One caution I have is take anything you read in terms of personal stories on the internet with a grain of salt. If you are stable and having no issues chances are you are not on a forum like this.

Personally I am just coming out of an episode and I find coming on here from time to time is helpful. I feel I can give back a little by answering questions.

Try to relax, having bipolar is manageable. Not always smooth sailing but once you find the right mix of medications life becomes stable. We work, we marry, we have children of our own.

[ILADVOCATE]

I believe this information would be clinically accurate but this could be discussed with a psychiatrist or doctor. As well the research into this is still ongoing. It should also be noted with treatment people with bipolar can live normal productive lives.

"Here are some statistics from a 2003 study:
A child of one parent with bipolar disorder and one without has a 15 to 30% chance of having BP.
If both parents have bipolar disorder, there's a 50 to 75% chance that a child of theirs will, too.
If you already have one child with BP, there is a 15 to 25% chance that another of your children will also have it.
If one identical twin has BP, there's about an 85% chance that the other one will as well.
All these chances are much higher than for children born to parents without a history of bipolar disorder. It is also possible that your child may develop another condition such as major depression, ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)."