The Signs My Parents Missed Before My Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis
In the 1970’s, few doctors were looking for mental illness in children.
My bipolar disorder diagnosis came in the spring of 1995. I was 23 years old, confined to a psychiatric hospital, and fighting through one of the toughest battles of my life.
Things may have looked sudden, but there were years of symptoms leading up to the diagnosis. My parents never suspected I had a mental illness while I was growing up, but now we know there were signs.
Here are a few of the signals they missed.
Little need for sleep
Many of my earliest memories revolve around laying in bed staring out the window. I had a set bed time. There were no excuses. Tired or not, I had to be in bed when the time came.
Most nights, I was wide awake, at least for the first few hours. I would wish for thunderstorms, so there would be something to light up the sky to keep me occupied.
As I got older, I learned how to read until late into the night, flipping off the bedside light quickly when I heard anyone stirring in the house. One of the great things about growing up in an old farmhouse was every floorboard and stair creaked. You always heard someone coming.
