Expert: Ivan Goldberg, M.D. - 4/26/2006

Question
Dr. Goldberg,

I believe that my husband is bipolar, although he is undiagnosed.  He has the classic signs: inability to hold a job due to "conspiracy theories"; significant highs and crashing lows; inability to remember events after he's had a rage; "all about me" attitude; blames others for his misgivings; failed relationships, etc.

We have been married for 7 years and have 5 daughters:2 from my first marriage, a daughter from his first marriage,and 2 from our marriage together. Their ages are 17, 14, 11, 6, and 4 respectively.

My concern is this, is bipolar hereditary?  If so, are there any signs I should be looking for in my children.  The thought of either of them being bipolar frightens me, but I want to be prepared as I have a friend that has a bipolar child and her life has been quite hellacious as a result.

Any insight or suggestions you may have will be appreciated.  Thank you in advance.

Answer
Hi . . .

While I am not an expert in psychiatric genetics, my understanding is that a genetic predisposition to develop Bipolar Disorder may be transmitted from a parent with the illnes to a child. My understanding of the risk is that there is a 15% chance that each child of a parent with Bipolar Disorder is at risk to develop the disorder. You may want to consult with a medical geneticist and a child psychiatrist regarding the detail;s of the risk and what to look for in your children.

Best regards . . .

Ivan
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