Posted by Ritch on January 4, 2005, at 10:59:01
In reply to Re: Dysthymia versus Bipolar type 2, posted by barbaracat on January 3, 2005, at 20:57:18
> This has been a very interesting and active thread and we've covered a whole lot of stuff. Let me ask you all this? Did you have an abusive childhood? Were your parents mentally ill?
>
> My father was bipolar - at least - and very violent and abusive at times. No sexual, thank God, but I spent a good deal of my childhood terrified. I wonder how that terror contributed to my mixed states vs. another kind of expression of my disorder? Genetics surely comes into it, but the emotional damage has a life of it's own. I'm just wondering how many of you out there who have bipolar or depressive disorders also had very difficult childhoods? Let's put it this way - are there any out there who didn't???
Grandmother had an amphetamine psychosis (back in the '60's on HIGH dose from a doctor) and was hospitalized and given ECT. Mom and Dad just had some serious temper issues. Mom had some panic problems. Dad seemed to have narcolepsy (napped and snored a LOT). Lots of yelling and fighting, no serious physical stuff-got smacked now and then, but nothing major.
poster:Ritch
thread:435630
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050103/msgs/437626.html