Is Anxiety Disorder Hereditary?
Do any of my mother's anxious behaviors could be passed on to her kids?
Anxiety Question:
Is anxiety disorder hereditary?
My mom has obsessive compulsive disorder, and I was wondering if any of her anxious behaviors could be passed on to her kids.
I'm only a teenager, so I can't really make the choice to see a therapist on my own, and my parents don't believe in seeing any type of therapist for mental illnesses.
My mom forced herself to overcome her obsessive compulsive disorder without medication or therapy, and she'd like for me to do the same.
Anxiety Answer:
I, having obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) myself, know that my mom doesn't suffer from the condition. I too, like your mom, have reduced my obsessive compulsive disorder to a mild form, by ignoring it.
This is extremely hard, but what I found was, as my OCD was based on a bad pattern of habits, was to make it a habit to ignore it. I didn't want it to control my life, so I controlled it.
I do believe that my obsessive compulsive disorder emerged from my mother’s way of constantly telling me to wash my hands (I used to wash my hands so much they would crack and bleed), and other constant reminders to fix things etc.
It emerged into OCD and mild germ phobia, but I don't think anxiety disorders are genetic, I think it's just a case of picking up others' habits and a lifetime of acting a certain way as conditioned by your parents or closed ones.
More about anxiety and hereditary:
- Can anxiety and depression be hereditary?
- Do anxiety and depression run in your family?
- Can anxiety disorder be passed down to your children?
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