We are getting better research about how age of onset and "Family Loading"
influence how we do later in life:


Does A Family History Of Depression Increase The Risk For My Developing Depression?
Does A Family History Of Depression Increase The Risk For My Developing Depression? - ABC News
". . . a family history of depression is a very strong predictor of depression in an individual."



Cohort Effect May Be Responsible For Increased Severity, Earlier Diagnoses in Bipolar Disorder:
http://www.psychiatryadvisor.com/bip...rticle/525325/



Apparently, we were born into families with these disorders.

M

Yes. My Dad's, and Mothers generation are in denial of these mental health issues. My dad was in WWII, and they never talked about it.

My mother had a number of mental health issues, but she rarely talked about it. She didn't seek help for it.

They had to send me to get help, because I was falling apart, and had no choice. They didn't know what it was until around 1980. That's when there was new understanding about mental health issues, especially about phobias.
BF

Thanks Mari - very interesting.

My family history of clinical depression (I don't know about Bipolar) suggests that family things can be important though sorting out the relative importance of genetics and environment would not be easy.

Both my brother and sister have been moderately depressed. I nudged them both into seeing clinical psychologists, which worked with no need for meds. It is good to be able to talk with them - they accept that I need meds as well as using talk-therapy approaches.

Looking back with the wondrous power of hindsight, I suspect that my father was also quite severely depressed.

By early "age of entry" does that mean the time the patient seeks help for mental illness? I was first seen at 17 for anxiety and depression, but I wasn't diagnosed as BP until I was 28, and not correctly diagnosed as type I until I was 34…

My father is a severe alcoholic and BPI like me, but has never received treatment. My mother suffered from depression (and was also an alcoholic), so did/does my sister. My brother has gone through episodes of depression, but his psych picture is more complicated than that… the alcohol is masking whatever is going on.

Yes, this is definitely hereditary in some cases.
My family is a prime example. I have two sisters with BP, and then my own
anxiety and at times depression. But I had lots of illnesses as a child.

My husbands side also has lots of depression, anxiety and bp. So its hit
my kids from both sides. I even had a talk with one of my ex- sister-in-laws
after my mother-in-law and I had talked about the issues in the family. My
husbands niece was starting to have issues. And it really helped her mother to help her. We really talked about how Danny was effected at a really
early age and how treatment was helping him.

My son's all three are effected, Dan, depression, bp and anxiety, and a few others.
Devin, Mainly anxiety, but I've seen depression at times too.
Derrick Anxiety, and he hallucinated for about 1 1/2 years thanks to medication he was on then.

My husband will have bouts of depression, and I'm guessing he has anxiety.

So I learned just recently one grandson is emotionally handicapped at school.
And the other has lots of issues with IQ and talking.

What do I have to look forward to with new one coming. Of course probably
more things. But love is the main thing I'm looking at.

Donna

My dad was also a alcoholic. It almost caused him to die. He had strange hallucinations when he got off of the alcohol.

I feel kind of bad about this because my condition was frustrating to him, and probably bothered him to the point of drinking more. BF

friend, please don't burden yourself with thinking that you caused your father to drink more. You did not pour alcohol down this mans throat.
(((((HUGS))))))
bizi

Friend,


It's o.k. That is in the past now.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=--==-
I posted because I thought the research gives us hope for future generations.


M

BF, you can't help the fact that these problems were forced upon you. Your father was prone to handling his problems with alcohol. He would have found other reasons to drink