Expert: Ivan Goldberg, M.D. - 1/11/2009

Question
Dear Dr. Goldberg,
I won't go into any detail about my situation but what are the chances that I have bipolar but none of my parents do?
No grandparents either?  I'm not adopted. My mom's home life was worse than mine...mine wasn't bad...My mom wonders why I'm the only one in the family with bipolar?  what are the chances medically of this not being hereditary?

Answer
Hi Shellie . . .

I have been practicing psychiatry for nearly 50 years and while I have no statistics upon which to base my comment, it is my impression that in about a third of the patients I see with bipolar disorder, there is no family history of bipolar disorder. Often, there is a family history of substance abuse and/or major depression.

Bipolar disorder is diagnosed by seeing if someone has symptoms that meet the official criteria for the disorder. In the USA these are the DSM-IV criteria. If the criteria are met, and the symptoms cannot be explained by physical illness, or the effects of prescribed or recreational drugs, the diagnosis is established.

I hope this helps.

Best regards . . .

Ivan
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