Is my dad bipolar?

from my experience of people ‘with’ bipolar.. also known as manic depression, it teeters from being very very happy, so unconscionably sad, generally, from my experience, people only get ‘angry’ through their periods of sadness when people try and intervene.

normally when in a depressive state they become very withdrawn and anti-social, lethargic and display patterns of behaviour similar to depression.

the ‘up’ side of it is they become totally hyper… don’t sit still, talk A LOT!

in all honesty, it doesn’t sound like bipolar, i know it’s a term commonly used nowadays to describe someone unpredictable, but an actual medical diagnosis isn’t so vague.

also, no one on this site can tell you what is or isn’t wrong with your dad. i would advise that you a) speak to him when he’s in an approachable mood… or b) have you got a mobile that records? perhaps VERY discreetyly record him when he’s going through a period of anger, and when he is in a good mood, approach him. DON’T show him the video straight away!!!! and when you talk to him, keep calm, don’t critisise or judge, just say ‘dad, i need to talk to you, as a daughter’.. this remind him of his role.. just say that you are frightened when he gets angry. say to him, you don’t want him to be cross with you, but you don’t know what to do, you love him and you are worried. he may try and brush over it, or deny it, and dependent on his reaction say ‘can you watch this for me please?’ and leave him for a minute to watch it.. if he’s embarressed or angry, he probably won’t want you to see that..

also, speak to your doctor, explain your concerns. but i would talk to him first. he may feel like you’re going behind his back, when it is probably something that can be dealt with ‘in house’ (as such)

‘His computer got a virus from things he was doing that he shouldn’t have been’ what was he doing that he ‘shouldn’t have been? is he a single dad? if so, a lot of adult males use ‘older’ sites as a means to entertain themselves. he may be your dad, but he’s still a man.