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lostforwords
Member
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Posted Thu Dec 29th, 2011 8:02am Post subject: Are mental conditions hereditory?
I have problems of which some have and some have not been diagnosed; one of them is I think either bipolar or cyclothemia. I have heard that these conditions can be hereditory and I can see that there is some proof of at least depression in my family. My concern is that recently I have been thinking more about what it would be like to have children and I don't want to pass anything on to them if I can help it.
I would love to have kids and I see it as the biggest responsibility to them to make their lives as good as possible. I would like that any medication I am currently on be tottally out of my system when the child is concieved and I feel that I would need that to be because I can cope without it at the time.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to whether or not there is actual proof you can genetically pass down mental conditions, or whether medication the male is on can effect a child in any way? Or on the other side of the coin; would a lack of needed medications also effect the child in any way.
I will see my GP about these questions but I thought I'd ask to see if anyone here had any knowlege of any of these things. I have a very confused brain so I hope that what I have written makes sense.
The thought of bringing a child into the world that has my genes scares me because of these things and I just need to know that I'd be doing the right thing.
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lostforwords
Member
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Posted Fri Dec 30th, 2011 5:43am Post subject: Are mental conditions hereditory?
I don't know, I guess in the end all that matters is that you are able to provide love for your children. That's the only thing you can guarantee in life. I'll still go to my GP and see what I can do to give my child the best start it can have but I guess the rest is the unknown and the adventure of life.
Sorry to burden you with my thoughts.
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gadgetgirl
Member
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Posted Fri Dec 30th, 2011 10:39am Post subject: Are mental conditions hereditory?
I think the lack of replies is because no one really knows the answer to this. The only thing I have heard of (from the tSLofMD) is that women prone to depression and bipolar can get bad bouts after birth (normal baby blues exacerbated). Of course I am not a Doctor!! But, I certainly think you'll need to have a good support network. Hopefully your GP can provide this? Talking to him/her sounds like a good way forward.
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lostforwords
Member
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Posted Fri Dec 30th, 2011 11:46am Post subject: Are mental conditions hereditory?
Thanks. To be fair I don't think I left it long enough for anyone to reply, I just wanted to add a piece more. It's a complex question and I don't expect anyone knows the answer to it. As I said my brain is a confusing place so the thread I guess is just musing rather than anything else.  I realise also that it isn't clear from the post that I am male and it's just that I've reached a point where I've started thinking about these things.
Thanks for taking an interest 
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greentree
Member
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Posted Fri Dec 30th, 2011 9:10pm Post subject: Are mental conditions hereditory?
I guess it's tricky to know if it is hereditary as in genetics, or hereditary as in behaviour. What i mean by that is that if something is hereditary as in genetics, then if you take the person into a different environment they still may well get depression - depending on how strong the genetic thing is i guess. Bit like eye colour maybe.....
But if someone grows up with a parent who has depression, and 'learns' ways of being / coping that aren't all that helpful, they may well get depression themselves. But it's tricky to know what it is that 'caused' it i guess. Bit like if a kid sees a parent hitting another parent, they think that violence is the way that people do things, and so they hit kids at school. Cos they don't know any different. Is that learnt, or is that a genetic propensity to violence?
There are studies that show that certain mental health issues might be hereditary - but i think it's just strong suggestion at the moment rather than definite, absolute proof.
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gadgetgirl
Member
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Posted Sun Jan 1st, 2012 11:10am Post subject: Are mental conditions hereditory?
Sorry lostforwords, it did occur to me you might not be female but I didn't really post that! It's still the case that new fathers can feel the strain too (lack of sleep, overwhelming new emotions to deal with etc.).
Greentree - what you've written is very interesting. It really bothers me that my kids do see me in a bad way sometimes, and that they may learn some of my behaviour. However, they've also been a great source of strength to me when I'm down and, to be brutally honest, have been the thing that stopped me going too far down the self-destruction route a couple of times. I don't think there's an easy answer to that one either.
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lostforwords
Member
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Posted Sun Jan 8th, 2012 5:56pm Post subject: Are mental conditions hereditory?
That's ok gadgetgirl, I just got the idea you thought I was female
Greentree, you are right it is difficult to know what is in the genes and what is learnt. I guess that's what I was wondering, if anyone knew of any studies but I haven't heard of any. It's an interesting subject though, nature vs nurture.
Thank you for your replies, it means a lot. 
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