Thank you sno. I'm glad I can finally show you something you've not yet seen.
Iain, my mom was severely bipolar, but this was before they invented the good medications, and I don't think it would have been so awful had she'd been medically managed beyond lithium, as she seemed to get better in the mid 1990s. Growing up with her was pretty horrible though. I too have bipolar 1, which is different than bipolar 2. I am very well managed with meds, but every few years they sort of poop out and I have to go through a battery of new ones to see which cocktail works for me. Those times are hell and can sometimes take many many months.
My dad had anxiety and OCD but was never diagnosed. I have a bit of that too. My brother has never seen a psych, but I know he's a lot like my dad. I think brain chemistry can be inherited. I think there is a lot of nature vs. nurture too, but science has shown that a lot is definitely inherited, and especially exacerbated under stress.