Bipolar Depression

I have a two your old son and I worry everyday what it will do to him living with a father that has bp. I worry about whether or not I'll be able to shelter him from the heartache, or even if I'm sheltering him too much. With those of you with older kids, did they turn out ok?

Do they have any symptoms of bp? That's another thing I worry about. I know the liklihood is greater, but how much?

Anything anyone could share would be helpful.

Thanks!

AH:

My ex bp has three children that are 16, 14 and 12. He's divorced, but actually raised the kids from ages 2, 3 and 5 by himself. He lost custody a few years ago after going through a terrible manic episode.

The oldest child clearly shows signs of bp. Very moody (although I know that comes w/ age), but has no friends, makes up stories, bouts of depression. She is being treated now, and not yet diagnosed.

The other two are doing okay. They're both exceptionally smart, and love their father deeply. When he's manic, they get very confused, but seem to get used to the bizarre behavior. They say "It's just the way dad is."
When he's depressed, they used to blame me. It's strange. They were explained about bp when he was dx a few years ago, but they still seem to struggle grasping the concept of the whole thing.

My only advice is that children are very perceptive, and when he's old enough, he should be told about the illness and the symptoms. The more my ex's children understood, the better equipped they were to understand why their dad did the things he did.

Lastly, and not to scare you, my ex would have violent outbursts when manic. He would say horrible things to his "favorite" middle child, and on one occassion kicked her down a flight of stairs. It was best to keep her away when he was manic.

I know this isn't the best advice, but I don't think there's any simple answers.

Good Luck.

Karen,

Thank you so much for your honesty. It's not what I want to hear, but what I probably need to hear.