is it my fault my daughter is bipolar?

Caroline - posted on 01/27/2012

Thank you so much for the nice words

Kate CP - posted on 01/27/2012

Also to add to Krista's statement, many who suffer from bi-polar disorder will attempt to self medicate with drugs and alcohol. This is why getting her into therapy NOW is important. The sooner she gets positive coping mechanisms for her ups and downs the better.

Kate CP - posted on 01/27/2012

Being diagnosed at 13 as bi-polar is hard. I was diagnosed at that age. The best thing to do is get her into therapy and try REALLY HARD to keep her off of medications. Medications for bi-polar disorder were never meant for developing brains (children). She needs coping mechanisms and some one to talk to.



It's not your fault in the sense that it's nothing you did. It's hereditary. I have it, my mother has it, her mother has it, all my aunts have it...and some day my daughter will have it, too. When that day comes I will do everything I can to get her the help she needs and support her.



Read everything. Get as much literature on the disorder as you can and study everything that discusses teens and bi-polar disorder. Your best weapon against this disease is knowledge.

Krista - posted on 01/27/2012

No, it's not your fault. Researchers still aren't 100% positive about the causes of bipolar disorder, but they're fairly sure that it's mostly due to genetic factors, which can sometimes be triggered by external factors (stress, alcohol or drug use). It has to basically already be there in the brain in order for it to be triggered, though, and there's absolutely nothing that you did that contributed to that.



My sister is bipolar, and I am not, and we were both raised the same. But we have a family history of mental illness, and she just drew the unlucky card. A diagnosis of bipolar disorder doesn't mean that her life is ruined. But it's key to find a really good psychiatrist now, and to try to keep her as stable as possible. You will also want to have a serious talk with her about drugs and alcohol -- they can severely worsen her condition, so it's best that she abstain from them.



Good luck! I'm not going to lie -- you've got a challenging road ahead of you, but it's not an impossible one. Just make sure you're there for her, and that you stay involved in her treatment and that you monitor her closely.

Kaitlin - posted on 01/27/2012

Bipolar is a MEDICAL condition. This chemical imbalance is not your fault. Now that you know, the two of you (or better yet, your whole family) can work together on ways of handling it, with medication, with behavior modification, with new ways expressing and dealing with all that comes with it. Perhaps you feel guilty for how you handled her behavior int he past, not knowing it was a medical condition? Guessing here. You can't change the past, but you can move forward and deal the situation together.

Firebird - posted on 01/27/2012

Does any of this apply to you? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipolar_dis...