[whiskeytown]

I have found there is a strong history of mental illness and addiction in my family.

I suspected my immediate family, but apparently some grandparents were institutionalized as well back in the day for psychological/bipolar/depression/mania and all that.

That caught me off guard, but made me feel a bit like all my screwed up life wasn't ENTIRELY my fault - we appear to have a genetic tendency towards certain behaviors...family tradition.

Oh, and when I was a baby I was so fat I used to roll before I learned how to crawl, so I understand - and I was reading so well as a 6 year old they let me go to other classes in the 2nd and 3rd grade for certain stuff like math and reading - I never did get to skip the WHOLE grade though. I found out my Mom thought it would stunt my growth and killed the idea - but it was proposed by the School and I never knew it till a couple years ago - LOL

god, I was picked on so much in HS as it was, being a year younger would NOT have helped.

RB