Expert: Ivan Goldberg, M.D. - 12/9/2006

Question
I recently found out in a very circuitous way that I am BP.  I was being treated for unipolar for 8 years and it wasn't until I decided to go on meds that I was clear-headed to see something else was going on.  One of the big clues was that i wrote a screenplay in a month w/out eating or sleeping(and sold it).  I knew that was weird. Now I can see that I have been having hypomanic episodes for many years. I also think I have ADD because when i am not hypo, I am often too bored and distracted to write.

But my question is about my mother. She has been pretty much psychotic since I was about 10 (she was in late 30s then.  She has been hospitalized for suicide attempts, terrible financial situation, vengeful, narcicisstic -- although functioning and running her own business (grandiose aspirations?).  She has terrible relations with her family but they still maintain contact with her. I cut her off 5 years ago.

I now believe she is BPI and I am BPII.  I'm fine now on meds and I still have some hypomania which helps me write (how I make a good living). Knowing how hard it was for anyone to correctly diagnose me and the strong genetic component of bipolar, I am wondering if she really could be?  She has been in psychotherapy for 30 years!  She has taken medications.  But i never saw any real change in her.  Being "chronically depressed" and a victim is the core of her udentify but I have a strong feeling that she would dispute a BP diagnosis because that would make her "crazy".

She still abuses other family.  How could I get her to think about this and maybe do something about it?

R

Answer
Hi . . .

As you know there is a strong genetic aspect the bipolar disorder. At one time most people with bipolar I were diagnosed as schizophrenic if they became psychotic/paranoid.

Considering the history between the two of you I'm not sure your mother would listen to anything you might suggest to her, But you might point out to her that it took a while for you to get the right sort of psychiatric help and that she should seek a reevaluation of her psychiatric status with a new doctor and that she should be sure to discuss with the doctor your response to the right treatment.

BTW, what you call ADD sounds like depression to me. One of the classical symptoms of depression is reduced concentration.

Best regards . . .

Ivan
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