im 15 with bipolar. what are the chances my kids will be bipolar. or can i loose the bipolar before having kids??
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7/28/09 4:48am
Hi, Katie. The risk is about one in five. Also keep in mind that drawing the short straw is not necessarily a disaster. Many of us lead highly successful and even enviable lives with bipolar.
Also keep in mind that even if you do pass on the bipolar genes, your child may never have bipolar. That's because the genes may lie dormant. We're not exactly sure of cause and effect, but many genes are typically "switched on" by environmental and develpmental factors. For instance, my "bald" gene didn't take over till well into adulthood (I would have hated being a bald teenager). Stress (such as say financial worries) may trigger bipolar episodes. In effect, the stress swtiches on the relevant genes. But if your child grows up in a different environment than the one you did, those same stresses may not be present.
As you have probably guessed by now, even if you were to "lose" your bipolar, you would not lose your particular genes. One half of your genome will be passed on no matter what. But if you learn to manage your bipolar, you will create a much better environment for your children. It's never genes alone. It's always genes plus environment.
7/27/09 7:52pm
I'm going to try to explain this very easily for you. While I'm not an expert, Bipolar IS genetic. But that doesn't mean that your children will have it. Just like if your Grandfather had blue eyes and the rest of your family has brown - your child COULD have blue eyes because it is in your gene pool.
My bipolar ex's mother had Bipolar, and so did her Aunt. To my knowledge his father and grandfather did not, but his brother wound up with depression. And it's very possible that when my ex has kids, if he has kids, yes they can have it to. Also, BP is something that you won't "loose" but it can be managed by drugs and therapy. You should consult your doctor and research the illness.
7/28/09 8:41pm
Yes you can pass this on from Mother to child. My Grandmother has Bipolar, so does my mother , myself, and 2 of my children so far. There is NO MAGIC PILL to cure this. But the answer to your question can it travel through your family genes yes, does this mean everyone in my family has these disorders NO WAY. But some do.
7/29/09 1:17am
My husband was just diagnosed at age 44. Our two children, age 14 and 11, so far show no signs of bipolar disorder. My sugggestion would be to enjoy today and not think about to many years ahead into the future. But that was an excellent question!
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By Katie— Last Modified: 12/27/10, First Published: 07/27/09
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Wow - thank you.........very informative!!!