![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by obsidian on February 6, 2011, at 1:23:57
I do, both sides. The thing is that it is not completely clear to me...as if anything is clear. I take that back, maybe diagnosis/treatment histories of family members is clear to some.
I know I have a maternal uncle diagnosed "paranoid schizophrenic" with a few past hospitalizations...though he functioned pretty well, worked, seemed coherent and logical the only time I met him, perhaps a milder case of something else entirely. It was many years ago after all.
I've got a paternal grandmother with a past hospitalization and multiple rehabs for alcoholism. My father calls her "borderline manic depressive". Who can tell with the alcoholism active there.
and there's the mood lability of my maternal grandmother, my mother, the eccentricity and grandiosity/mood swings of my father. What does it mean? do I have these genetics?
I ask because I don't know if I need these meds.
eh, who can tell?
just curious if family history is common for folks here??
Posted by bodhisattva_guy on February 6, 2011, at 3:41:44
In reply to who has a family history of mental illness?, posted by obsidian on February 6, 2011, at 1:23:57
i would say - who doesn't? Depending on the definition of mental illness - from increased tendency to use alcohol, to increased anxiety - I think all of us do. I hope people are not ashamed, and remember - DNA is tricky - even of both parents are blue eyed - they can conceive brown eyed baby.
Tommy
Posted by Phillipa on February 6, 2011, at 11:23:35
In reply to Re: who has a family history of mental illness?, posted by bodhisattva_guy on February 6, 2011, at 3:41:44
Hey that's true about the brown eyes. As to mental illness I feel tendancies to be anxious run in my whole family, Mother, Father, Sister, her kids, and All my Kids. But is anxiety a mental illness. Phillipa
Posted by floatingbridge on February 6, 2011, at 14:24:39
In reply to who has a family history of mental illness?, posted by obsidian on February 6, 2011, at 1:23:57
I do.
That is not to say you need (all?) your meds. No advice implied; I don't know what you take or why you started.
There were some relatively healthy types somewhere in my family tree. I think they amscrad. (Pig Latin.)
Posted by linkadge on February 6, 2011, at 16:43:40
In reply to who has a family history of mental illness?, posted by obsidian on February 6, 2011, at 1:23:57
I do have a family history on my mother's side. There was mainly depression, some bipolar and a few religious nuts.
Anyhow, it may not be genes. When my mother had me she was very thin. It could be things like poor nutritional status passed on during pregnancy.
Linkadge
Posted by Phillipa on February 6, 2011, at 20:46:42
In reply to Re: who has a family history of mental illness?, posted by linkadge on February 6, 2011, at 16:43:40
Link I've heard that if Mother too thin she can't support a pregnancy and it doesn't happen. Baby takes nutrition from Mom. So ultimately it's the Mother's health that suffers. Of course this could have changed. Phillipa
Posted by bodhisattva_guy on February 8, 2011, at 18:59:54
In reply to Re: who has a family history of mental illness? » linkadge, posted by Phillipa on February 6, 2011, at 20:46:42
Let's stay on topic.
I know that my dad (may he rest in peace),
had trouble holding onto a job. He did OK early in life, but then he just didn't have a stable job. Although he didn't do too good in school, he did graduate and was a sport's intructor, but then something happened. Economic conditions might have impacted that.My mother was able to hold onto a stable long time position job in sales. So she didn't show the depressive moods that I saw in my dad. However, she was overly anxious.
Posted by bodhisattva_guy on February 8, 2011, at 19:56:09
In reply to Re: who has a family history of mental illness?, posted by bodhisattva_guy on February 8, 2011, at 18:59:54
I hope others would share more detailed things related to what you think might be genetic
Here is the insight into my feeling on the issue:- I did very well in school, but then in high school (Secondary School), after getting all A's during my freshmen year, my mood changed and I struggled to maintain good GPA, which I did, and went on to college to get BS degree in medicine related field (anatomy, organic chemistry, calculus). So I am very thankful for getting the genes to be able to be academically successful.
I do, however, see some parallels in behavioral patterns ralated to both my mother and my farther.
If I drink a beer or two, I feel changes in mood for a week ( I am highly aware of my emotional state). For those who have a parent who showed any sign of dependency issues I would urge to be mindful of that. Do not ignore this - do not be with people who drink/use substances to get high.
And one more thing - one day's pain is better than a week long withdrawal from whatever dangerous substance (alcohol, street drugs) it might be that you might use to "escape" temporary pain.
Posted by jjjaspar on February 16, 2011, at 13:34:26
In reply to who has a family history of mental illness?, posted by obsidian on February 6, 2011, at 1:23:57
Our family has it on both sides. I like this information about it Specific Genes Inherited from Both Parents . . . http://itsnotmental.blogspot.com/2008/01/specific-genes-inherited-from-both.html which also explains how it can skip a generation.
Of course,that was about schizophrenia, and there are many different types of schizophrenia.
Posted by butternut on March 2, 2011, at 15:36:03
In reply to Re: who has a family history of mental illness? » obsidian, posted by floatingbridge on February 6, 2011, at 14:24:39
I sure do! There were five kids in my mom's family. Grandma a little anxious, grandpa an alcoholic with bouts of depression. Of the five kids, all but one have had problems: those problems are schizophrenia, depressed (with suicide attempt), bipolar later called schizoaffective, and one with relatively mild or moderate depression/anxiety. My mom was the bipolar/schizoaffective one. My sister and I have strugged with depression and anxiety. I think me more seriously than my sis. Starting in elementary had episodes of anxiousness and even depersonalization. Kept it together till my college years, when I kind of fell apart and had to see a doc to be put on meds. Never been the same since! Sadly, many male cousins on my mom's side have had schizophrenia, and many other cousins have bipolar or depression, and there is a lot of addiction issues which I have mercifully been spared.
Posted by Elanor Roosevelt on March 2, 2011, at 21:45:25
In reply to Re: who has a family history of mental illness?, posted by bodhisattva_guy on February 8, 2011, at 18:59:54
my dad was diagnosed with schizophrenia but I don't know if that was a good diagnosis. I think he was bipolar with extreme feelings of persecution. This was complicated by the fact he was a raging alcoholic.
Mom was an undiagnosed depressive.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.