My daughter- bipolar?

[Bipolar2europe]

I have newly been diagnosed bipolar type 2. I´d been on first ssri and later effexor, since 1999. My depression has been so deep it almost became a part of my person. But I have been extremly good hiding my depressed self. In october I was put on Lamictal, and finally I was free. Free from anxiety the first morning, it was absolutely fantastic. Since then I´ve step for step regained my personality.
My big problem is that am almost certain that my oldest daughter who is 18 has the same disease.
My father was in a mental clinic for at least months 3 times during his life, reciving ECT, insulin chocks, TCA, anxiolytics. My aunt was in a mental hospital for 20 years. They both had alcohol problems, but my father kept working full time as an ingeneer between hospilitation. My fathers female cuosin was brilliant, with many friends, but also depressed and killed herself in her early twentys. No one of theese, my relatives, got a diagnosis. I show you here my familyhistory as a background.
My daughter was difficult to contact when she was a baby. It seemed she didn´t want eye-contact. She learned eventually. She had a depression with weightloss when she was 2,5 years, She stopped playing and eating. The only thing she wanted was to sit in my lap. This lasted for 2 weeks.
She has had screaming, crying fits between 3 and 9 years of age. She has had great difficulties with making new friends. At the age of thirteen, she wrote a terrible letter, and disappeared. We had the police searching... She came back the same evening by herself. When she was sixteen she tried alcohol for the first time, and came home almost unconciuos. I sat with her for hours afraid of her stop breating. In the morning I found she had smeard feces on the wall where she slept. I cleand it away, and havent mentioned it since. The first time she brougth friends to our home was when she turned 17. On the other hand, she is beautiful, has the best grades in every subject. She has extraordinary artistic skills. Now she has more friends and has learned how to handle people in many ways.  We have always had a special connection, me and my daughter, and inside I know that she is bipolar too. At least she has the same disease as I do. I´ve had a great suffering during my life. Never really trusting the love of my nearest, always needing to prove I´m worth to live and be loved by doing things, beeing the best, study the hardest, do the most comlicated tasks at work. At the same time in depressed or hypomanic moodswings have I had a great aggression and irritation towards my partners, my mother, sometimes my sisters, all but the children. I have two broken marriages. And I don´t want this for my daughter!!!
Is there any medical evidence for profylactic treatment before she becomes depressed or hypomanic again? Is there a discussion of early treatment of bipolar disease in the psyciatric community? Could early treatment prevent loss of braincells?
Every doctor I talked to has said wait and see. But I want to know what the best researchers in this field have to say.

[DLA]

http://www.medhelp.org/forum_disclaimers/show/122

Use this link and it goes to the mental health dr., Dr. Gould.

[Bipolar2europe]

Its me again. I thought that when posting a question, I would get an answer from a psychiatrist, not only from although very kind and supporting members, maybe not so medically updated on latest research in the fíeld.
Can anyone answer me??
How do I do to post/mail my question to a doctor???

[Bipolar2europe]

Thank you for your support! I will certanly try getting her to a doctor. Thanks again.

[Venora Moonwind]

See about taking her to your doc for an evaluation.I am much in same situation with y daughter. it does run in families.I am pretty sure my dad had it too but was never diagnosed. your daughter sounds much like mine Beautiful brilliant creative  talented and moody with manic and depression.  She has been seeing my psychiatrist and getting therapyIt take a combo of meds and therapy to stabilize  good luck to you and your daughter and let me know how it goes for the both of you.
Love Venora