Genealogy testing: Prepare for the emotional reaction

The availability of home genealogy testing has made exploring genealogy popular and easy to do. This has led to many interesting stories of people meeting long lost relatives, learning that their heritage is not what they thought, and even discovering that they are not genetically related to people they thought were blood relatives. While much has been written about privacy concerns related to DNA genealogy testing and how that information is shared, it seems there is little attention paid to preparing people for the emotions they may experience in reaction to what they may discover. This preparation includes considering what people’s expectations are for the testing, and how best to handle surprising results (“good” or “bad”). Genealogy testing and family connections Discovering “new” family members through DNA genealogy testing can trigger a wide range of emotions, including happiness, anxiety, sadness, or even anger. In fact, the emotional experience may be so intense that many genealogy sites state they are not liable for any “emotional distress” that may result from using the service. If you are considering consumer  genealogy testing, think carefully about your motivation for your search. What do you hope to learn? What are you curious about? What will you do if you receive unexpected results (for example, your DNA suggests that your roots are not in Ireland as you thought, or that it is unlikely that you are biologically related to your family)? Do y...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Genes Health Mental Health Source Type: blogs