When Mental Illness is Hereditary

As a child I remember my mom constantly saying “my nerves are bad.” I didn’t know that my nerves were bad, along with the little pills she took, and her alcoholism, were personal attempts to alleviate the anxiety and depression she felt. Back then it wasn’t talked about. Children were seen and not heard, and that was just how it was. It was very confusing as a child. I didn’t understand why my mom was not happy and why her “nerves were bad.” I struggled with anxiety long before I even knew what anxiety was. I just felt different then everyone else. I did not know the feelings and thoughts I was experiencing were what my mom had also been experiencing. Anxiety takes on different forms and manifests in different ways, and mine didn’t look exactly like hers. She cried a lot, and I didn’t. She seemed so sad and for the most part I loved life. By the time I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, I was already trying to find ways to cope. I sought help in many forms; counseling, life skills classes, psychiatry, doctors, self help and self awareness books, as well as writing journals and talking about it. I was doing all the things I had not seen my mother do, in hopes that I would be able to “get over this” and one day be free from the anxiety I felt. As the years went on practicing and engaging in these strategies in attempt to cure my anxiety, none have been completely successful. There have been times...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Anxiety and Panic Family Personal Anxious Thoughts Generalized Anxiety Disorder Insomnia Panic Disorder Social Anxiety Disorder Worry Source Type: blogs