Thoughts on genetics/chemical imbalances?

[jayjoe18]

I've mentioned this briefly in another of my posts but really wanted to hear what other sufferers thought about this as I keep getting conflicting information.

I've been reading up on articles etc and just wonder whether anxiety (anxiety inparticular for me but of course other mental health problems) can be genetic/in our DNA/caused by a chemical imbalances passed on through families?

I recently spoke to my therapist about this and she quickly dimissed it, infact seemed a little insulted I'd asked (but that could be me being sensitive!) She said anxiety is a learnt behaviour and does not run in families.

That's fine, however she then went on to refer to criminals saying that their anxiety part of the brain (amygdala) is 'switched off' which is why they commit crimes because they don't feel fear. If that's the case, surely the opposite would mean a highly switched on brain leading to abnormal anxiety levels???

I definitely think anxiety can be learnt in many people if not all of us that have anxiety (like when you experience a traumatic event, learnt through childhood, experiences and so on) but I don't think it's the only thing that causes it, I think there must be other contibuting factors. I say this because I have a strong family history of mental health problems which I've just traced back to my great grandad who had anxiety and OCD, my nan who has been in hospital all her life because of depression and been diagnosed as a manic depressive (which is probably bipolar nowadays?).

Then there is also two sets of twins on my mums side of the family (I don't know their relation to my mum and I've never met them) but they all have social anxiety and there's also another girl in the family I think maybe my mum's cousin's daughter who had emetophobia. Finally, my mum has anxiety (controlled by medication) and my dad, well, he has some problems too. Which leads to me! I believe I have social anxiety, which has resulted in panic, phobias and health anxiety (which I've practically recovered from)

Sorry for the boring long-winded dive into my family history there but I'm just trying to explain where my thinking is coming from. I'll definitely take all this to my doctor and see what she thinks, but I'm interested to know what anyone here reading this thinks?

[Speranza]

OK have just asked my daughter who is a Neuroscientist.

She says a lot of pschyotherapists are not very open to the scientific side of things as it reduces their view of what can be achieved therapeutically. In Neuropsychology, she believes the strongest models are Bio-psycho-social models, which basically state that vulnerabilities can come from varying sources, including biological, psychological and sociological. If negative thinking patterns run in families, that CAN affect behaviours, but there is a lot of evidence that certain genotypes are more vulnerable to the problems you describe.

In Epigenetics, there is a lot of research into how our environment can affect how our genes (inheritance) are expressed - eg someone might not get depression if their life didn't trigger it, even though they are genetically predisposed... but someone else might find things more stressful simply because of their genetic make-up.
She tells me there is a 'short 'S' allele' of the serotonin transporter gene, which is particularly linked to mental health vulnerability. So of course things can run in families - but different families will respond differently too so that all has to be considered. She says it isn't overly helpful to tell someone to think themselves better if they have inherited a gene which makes that more difficult for them than for others.


So there you go!

[Tufty]

I'm not sure but have read that it can run in families but they, the researchers/scientists, aren't sure if it's due to genes, nurture or environment.

Personally there is no one in my family that I know has had an emotional/mental health issue. I think mine is due to a combination of being a sensitive child (genetic), parents with poor understanding (nurture) and being brought up in a 'tough' emotional environment.

I think some of us are predisposed to anxiety due to our genetics and early years but I've given up trying to work out the whys and hows, it just is. I am anxious and suffer with panic attacks and depression as a result, it's something I need to live with but don't need to find out the cause or right any wrong doings, I am content to just let the past go.

Do you think proving a genetic link will help you come to terms with your anxiety Jayjoe?

[Speranza]

What a good question...

I think it helps in as far as you can tell yourself it isn't you making bad choices (which can be implied sometimes). I think the Nature/Nurture sides are so mixed up as to be inextricable. There is obviously a huge vein of MH issues running through my family but the (non) Nurture could explain it.

I guess some people may well be 'set' to respond to life differently. For some, that could be helpful to know. For others, it could be a reason not to fight battles which actually, they could perhaps win..?

[GirlAfraid23]

It definitely runs in families.
Most anxiety conditions run through the family line.
Specific issues that are seen to be inherited:
OCD
Panic Attacks
Schizophrenia
Autism
Depression
Bi-Polar.

These all share geneic roots and can be passed on through the family line.

[eight days a week]

In my humble opinion it's definitely genetic in many cases.

Also learned behaviours from your parent(s).

Both are beatable I absolutely believe

[shakey1961]

JayJoe - you are so on the right lines thinking that anxiety is genetic. Your therapist is talking cr*p.

Mine is such a long story, but I'll try to keep it short.

Started with panic and anxiety at 16yo, suffered it for 35 years, (I'm now 51). I always thought "something was doing this to me" and it wasn't all in my head.

Over the years I've panicked in almost every place, and I also found that I would become dizzy/drunk like, my head feeling funny, which I eventually found out was hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar).

Fast forward those 35 years and I was making a lovely sponge cake. I had 3 large slices over 2 days tasted great. Following day I was stuck in the bathroom with bad diahorrea. So I go and see my GP and I suggested it might be the eggs (sorry, I know it's a too much information time, but "IT" smelt eggy). GP said that was unlikely but to try cutting out the wheat.

I cut wheat out and after a few days I felt calmer, heart slower, breathing slower and less/no hypos. After much research into symptoms and links between one disease and other it became clear I have Coeliac Disease.

Sadly my parents are no longer with me, but it is plainly obvious that I inherited this from my father!

There is a direct link between hypos and coeliac. None of my family have any past history of diabetes, but 2 of my dads brothers were alcoholics and his other brother had epilepsy (which does have a link).

I hardly panic now, but I get the odd twinge now and again, I think it's because my nerves are conditioned to it, and I have to "un-learn" all my anxiety triggers as they don't matter now, but I can't remember the last time I was truly anxious - I'm so much better.

If you want to know more please send me a private message.

Regards

[Sparkle1984]

There have been several heated debates on this forum in the past about whether anxiety is caused by a chemical imbalance or whether it's a learned behaviour. I personally think both theories have merit - for some people, anxiety is genetic (ie caused by a chemical imbalance) and for others it is a learned behaviour. Then for some other people, it may be a combination of the 2 factors. I think these 2 different theories explain why some people can recover from anxiety with CBT alone, while others need medication. I'm aware that anxiety and depression often can run in families, which gives weight to the genetic theory.

For me, I think my anxiety is partly caused by a chemical imbalance (serotonin deficiency), but I'm not anxious all the time - mine comes in episodes which can last for a few months, then I go back to normal again until the next episode starts. These episodes seem to be mostly triggered when I go through a stressful phase in my life, for example being made redundant from a job, or other major life changes, although occasionally they can come out of the blue with no clear explanation. So in my case, I think it's partly a chemical imbalance and partly due to environmental factors. I'm assuming that the chemical imbalance must always be there, but I usually only enter an anxious/depressive episode when there are other stresses in my life.

I've had these episodes on and off ever since I was about 8 or 9 years old. Thankfully when I was a child they weren't too severe, and I felt like I could handle them on my own. I was too scared to tell anyone in case they thought I was crazy or they laughed at me(I felt like I was the only person in the world with these sorts of thoughts). I was also worried that my mother wouldn't know what to do. It's only in recent years that these episodes have started getting more severe, more long-lasting and often accompanied by depressive symptoms. So when I had a major episode last summer, it was so bad I felt like I had to tell my close family members and also go to the doctor for help.

When I'm on medication (which I started for the first time last year) and it's fully kicked in, I hardly get any symptoms at all, which is what makes me think my body probably doesn't produce enough serotonin naturally. I briefly came off medication earlier this year, because my doctor and I thought I had recovered, but 4 weeks later my anxiety symptoms came back again. I tried to carry on with my CBT/self help techniques, but they no longer seemed to be working as the anxiety and intrusive thoughts felt too powerful. I began to feel very hopeless and apathetic about everything, so that's why I asked to restart the medication. Thankfully in the last week or so my anxiety and intrusive thoughts have died down significantly, and I feel a lot happier in myself and more motivated again.

[PanchoGoz]

I don't think chemicals force you to think certain thoughts...a lot of anxiety is choice...avoidance, safety behaviours, over-reacting etc. And I think the family line thing is a lot to do with learned behaviour from my parents.
But I think you can be predisposed, my grandmother had a nervous breakdown in the 30s. Predisposed does not mean "resigned to" though, it's just a possiblilty factor.
Nothing should stop someone from trying to get better. Drugs are never the complete answer.

[Rennie1989]

Nobody actually knows why some people suffer from anxiety (or any other mental illness) and why others don't. Genetics has been thought to play a part but scientists aren't sure if it's a learned behaviour from the parents or if the susceptibility of developing the illness is passed down. It is still a debate whether anxiety and depression is a 'chemical imbalance' is the brain because no part of the brain or chemical has been found responsible, some believe that anti-depressants are just a 'placebo affect' and only help people because they believe it helps them.

I really couldn't give you my two-cents on what I think. I've done research myself and nothing seems definitive to me. I hope funding can be given into this research because what ever causes us anxiety and depression is found then treatment (or at least the development of) would follow shortly afterwards.