I had a friend who waited his whole life to contract Huntingtons Disease (always fatal) cause it ran in his family and it is definatley hereditary. He never got the genetic test for the disease out of fear of knowing.....He got a vasectomy so he was sure not to pass the dreaded disease on to his children. He remained childless.
Anyway he lived his life like everyday was his last but abused alcohol and drugs due to the unknown fear of getting the Huntingtons.

Well at the age of 47 he died of mouth cancer that spread to his brain.
I think he unconciously tortured himself and in the end......it wasn't even the Huntingtons that got him. Could have just as easily been run over by a bus.
<<<<<sigh>>>> Just had to share