Is anxiety hereditory?

[lindajane1971]

Hi everyone,

I am a bit concerned, its about my daughter-
In brief, when she was 8-12 she had small panic attacks when she saw a hearse or funerals on television, and also was afraid of anyone in a large animal costume. It didn't concern me at the time as i know it is common for children to have this fear and she gradually grew out of it.
My mum died not long after my daughters 12th birthday and i was so worried how my daughter was going to be............but she was very brave and managed to sit in church with everyone else at the front beside the coffin, but she did not want to go to the crematorium for the separate service, which was understandable and the rest of the younger kids in the family did not go to that either. She told me later that my mums funeral helped her understand everything and the attacks stopped.

So skip on to this year, and she will be 17 in January, she has been complaining lately of not feeling right sometimes and she txt'd me today from High School to say that she was feeling weird today and while sitting in the hall thought she was going to faint.
She does have a bad phobia of blood, and when she sees blood, she goes pale, feels shaky and hot and feels like she might faint (she never has fainted though)
She says it feels like she has seen blood when she feels "funny" but she has not actually seen any.
Now to me this sounds like anxiety?????
Is this just a coincidence or can anxiety go down through generations??
The thing is.........my daughter does not actually know that i have anxiety, i have been so good at hiding this from my friends and family, and i have never told my kids about it and they have not seen me anxious, and really its only you guys on here that know that i have it and what i feel.
Im concerned that she is starting to show signs of anxiety, as she is otherwise healthy, she has been a very healthy child and she is a normal body weight and does not smoke/drink etc. She does not eat red meat at all, and i did think she may be anemic, but this is not the case.
I dont know if she should go to the doctor or not?

Advice much appreciated!!!

[Annie0904]

I suffer from anxiety, my dad suffers from anxiety and so did his mother. My youngest son is also showing signs of becoming anxious in situations. It is hard to say though if it is hereditary or learnt behaviour. If it isn't happening very often with your daughter I wouldn't do anything about it yet but if it gets to a point were it is affecting her life, then maybe she would need to see the doctor :hugs:

[loopylu86]

I went through anxiety first at 17. It definitely sounds like that and I have read that it can be passed down. You sound so brave about the fact that you hide it. At that age it did pass easily..I think it was due to how sociable we are at that age.
I am one of three girls and the only one to of suffered great anxiety and panic. My mum doesn't either. Or anyone else in my family that I am aware of.

[swgrl09]

Anxiety is spread throughout my family ... we've all got some form or another of it. That being said, the environment you raise your daughter in has a lot of input as well into the behaviors she develops. You can be disposed to having anxiety but not develop it depending on what happens in her life. I am all for early intervention though, if you do see things developing. The earlier you treat the easier to treat.

[lindajane1971]

Very interesting replies!!
I am of course very anxious that she may be at more risk from developing anxiety issues even though she knows nothing of my struggles.
My heart just aches at the thought of her suffering anything like what i go through.
Going to keep a close eye on her (from a distance)

[Annie0904]

I feel the same about my youngest son. My older 2 are just the opposite, confident and don't worry about anything. My youngest (now 22) is very sensitive and caring and when I was at my worst with anxiety 8 years ago he started to worry about me and became a little anxious himself. I just hope that he won't end up as bad as I am.

[justina]

I know my grandmother had some years of depression and changed behaviour before I was born
My mother definitely is an anxious person and has suffered from panic attacks...

and I must be the worst case this far in the family!

...so I am a bit worried about my kids, too:unsure:

[mrs way to worried]

My nan has health anxiety I've had it since a young age my daughter who is four used to see me anxious which I regret as she now shows signs of anxiety I believe it is passed on my mum always says me and my nan are exactly alike always got something wrong with us my mum doesn't have it she rarely goes to doctors and is very laid back about everything sometimes wish I was more like that