I had this thought

[hermetic]

and I'm trying to see if there is anything to it. I heard a news story about someone famous who is in a rehab center and they mentioned his mother had suffered from postpartum depression. My pal, who is experiencing problems with addiction and depression right now, his mother had serious postpartum depression. I'm starting to wonder if there is some link there. I would like to hear if anyone here has seen similar situations. If the two are directly related then perhaps measures could be taken to prevent the child from later developing these problems.

Your ideas on this?

Thanks and warm thoughts to all of you here.

[Droopy]

1. There is evidence that mental illness is hereditary

The jury is still out on the extent of the genetic influence and the environmental influence. I'm of the opinion that it's mostly a genetic problem. I had a great uncle and a great grandfather who were obviously ill, but were from a time when there weren't that many options for people who were mentally ill. My great uncle ended up committing suicide. My father takes medication for clinical depression. One of my sisters suffers from depression and obsessive/compulsive disorder. I have schizoaffective disorder. Me and dad are doing okay. My sister refuses to take medication and seriously acknowledge her problem. The last time I saw her, her hands were so dried out from obsessive washing that her skin was cracking. She's gotten to the point where she doesn't like to leave the house, too.

[DemExpat]

2. I did some years of Primal therapy which has the premise that

most psychological problems are "caused", or sparked by environmental factors of family dynamics - nurturing, or better said, the lack thereof. This even includes pregnancy and the birth process, as well as how the infant is received into the world.

A psychiatrist I had later was convinced that nurturing, parenting, has the most impact on a child's developing mental health - even with inherent biological weaknesses.

I do believe that there is a genetic propensity for some people to develop certain forms of mental illness, but in my opinion, these are very often set off by traumas, parental unawareness of their (positive or negative) influence on their children, environmental toxins, drugs, etc....

Now if parents can learn, ideally before their children are born, to be aware of these influences they may be able to help prevent the pattern from continuing in their children. Get guidance on how to guide their kids. What signs to look for, in themselves and in their children, etc.....
but this really is an ideal vision, I'm afraid.

DemEx

[hunter]

3. My troubles are very clearly genetic.

My family tree is full of crazy people.

But the interesting thing is that there is a family culture for dealing with some of the things, even turning them into something positive. Autistic spectrum and speaking disorders are almost entirely unremarkable within our family. In my generation half the kids had speech therapy in school, and it's the same in this generation among my kids and their cousins. For the most part we all seem to find some sort of world we can function in, but there have been those who don't -- those who become alcoholics, or commit suicide one way or another.

I don't think there's much of anything attributable to environment we grow up in. If you'd taken any of us as babies and adopted us out to some "perfect" sort of parents, the same mental health issues would still assert themselves.

[mopinko]

4. i agree

it is pretty hard to sort of the nature v nurture part of this, but i think that nurture is a far, far, far smaller component than is usually attributed to it these days. one of my kids has serious problems, of the sort which run in the family, and i could see it in her as a baby. in fact all 5 of my kids grew up to be who they were as tiny little kids.
twin studies of behavior are pretty fascinating shit.

[DemExpat]

6. Yes, mopinko, we could see our children's personalities and emotional

makeup from the moment they popped out. :-)

I have read some twin studies of kids split up and adopted that turned out remarkably the same, but some scientists note the possible flaw in drawing conclusions (about unimportance of nurture) in that the family environments that the kids were adopted into are often very similar themselves. Same level of wealth, education level of parents, cultural/religious group, values, etc.

Remains fascinating!

DemEx

[DemExpat]

5. I also do not believe that biological makeup itself can be changed through

parenting and guidance, but it sure makes a difference whether parents or others in a child's environment can find ways to lead the child to find those positive compensations for handicaps.

All humans are born with their weaknesses and strengths, the art is learning to live with these and to build on the good stuff.

This is where the nurture aspect is strongest, and imo, offers the most hope. If mental health care guidance was more accessible and important in society - through prenatal, natal and postnatal care on through toddler and pre-school on up, I think everybody would have much better chances to learn to cope, manage, and compensate for weaknesses, and to build up on strengths.

Certainly one sees patterns of illnesses of all types in all families. I come from rather healthy stock physically, but depression, anxiety and personality disorder are prevalent throughout generations.

So here I think that it is nurturing, care, guidance, and support within and beyond the family, that can help prevent these things - physical and mental weaknesses/illnesses from ruining lives.

Again - idealistically, but I chose to focus on this aspect instead of thinking fatalistically that it is all genetically determined and that there is little we can do about it.

But I think at this point that most theorists and scientists are about 50/50 on the nature/nurture question.

DemEx

[hermetic]

7. Ahh, idealism

It seems to all go back to childhood. Thank you Freud or whoever.

At 60, my love is suffering. And all I can offer is nurturing. Too late I guess because and all I get in return is scorn. I know it is just the illness replying, not the person. But it is still so hard on me.

I guess I am just going through some learning process that will hopefully someday prove to be good.

[DemExpat]

8. Your love at this stage may need much more than your care, enufalready.

Good professional care.

And nurturing is IMO not just giving and loving but helping someone to develop or grow by setting personal boundaries as well as to what you can take, accept, bear.

I hope that things get better for you soon,

DemEx

[hermetic]

9. Thank you, DemEx

He is getting counseling and meds but due to living in a very remote area with only a very small town close by, I don't know how good the care offered really is.

This has all come about in the past few months and I am doing all I can to learn all I can about what's going on. I've just signed up for a newsletter on bipolar disorder and I have half a dozen websites bookmarked. It is, for sure, eating into my time though. Getting encouragement from others out there has been very good for my state of mind.

:hug:

[ConcernedCanuk]

10. pal, who is experiencing problems with addiction and depression right now

.
.
.

That would be me right?

Ask anybody in my town that has known me for the last 25 years if they think I need "meds"

You are not going to quit trying to convince my friends that I need "help"

Quit stealing from me and lying about what has happened.

I warned you Dee - admit your own faults, and get help.

Leave me alone, and stop lying.

[ConcernedCanuk]

11. I noticed my other thread in this forum regarding lies by Enufalready disappeared.

.
.
.

Democracy my ass.