by Grant Mckenzie

Created on: February 18, 2009   Last Updated: February 20, 2009

Whether or not Bipolar Disorder can be inherited is a little more difficult than a simple "yes/no" answer. There have been cases of Bipolar Disorder in people who have no apparent family history and many people do not get Bipolar Disorder even though it runs distinctly through their family tree. The conclusion many people have come to is that the predisposition for Bipolar Disorder is inherited, but there is some other force necessary to activate the disease.

The genetic tie in Bipolar Disorder is indisputable. In the book "The Bipolar Child," Demitri and Janice Papolos give a detailed synopsis of a study done on an Amish community with regard to Bipolar Disorder. The conclusions of that study show the genetic tie. Dr. Kay Jamison, Professor of Psychiatry and bipolar sufferer, also laid out the case for the genetic tie in her book, "Touched with Fire." In that book, Dr. Jamison took well-known historical figures such as Lord Byron and Wagner who were manic-depressive (the former name for Bipolar Disorder) and examined their family trees. Not only does this research, as well as other studies, indicate a genetic tie, it shows that the tie typically comes from the mother's side of the family.

The Amish study also concluded that the environment in which a child is raised can have a significant impact on how the symptoms present themselves. In the Amish community, showing anger and acting violently are strictly taboo. Because of this, the more aggressive symptoms of the disease are repressed, but other symptoms, especially on the depressive side, are just as strong.

I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder in 1993. When I received that diagnosis, I began researching the disease to figure out where it came from and how to deal with it properly. When I discovered all the information that pointed to a genetic tie on my mother's side, I started going through the family tree. It turns out that there is very little information about my family available. In the Deep South, if there was a problem in the family, it was covered up. Many people who are diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder are in the same situation. It's not that they don't have a family history; it's that they can't define it.

Bipolar Disorder shows itself in many ways. Many times, it is misdiagnosed. A person may have a disorder that is not genetic, but the psychiatrist misdiagnoses them as bipolar. Now it appears that a case of Bipolar Disorder has emerged that has no genetic component.

The research shows conclusively that there is a genetic component to Bipolar Disorder, but it also shows that having a family history of Bipolar Disorder does not mean you will have the disease. Anyone who has Bipolar Disorder in their family should be aware of the symptoms and treatments so they can make an informed decision when they begin to question whether or not they should see the psychiatrist.

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