Truth Be Told With Lucinda Bassett- Anxiety and Genetics

Anxiety disorder tends to run in families. This means you might have a mother, father, grandparent, or sibling with anxiety problems. Did you grow up with someone who had problems with anxiety and depression? Did someone in your family suffer silently with panic and obsessive thoughts? Did they use “nerve pills” or alcohol to self medicate?

            I have discovered that alcoholism does not create anxiety. My father didn’t become anxious because he abused alcohol. In fact, it’s the other way around; he abused alcohol because he was anxious and depressed. He was probably genetically prone to anxiety and alcoholism. Additionally, he went through a difficult childhood, which made him environmentally prone to anxiety and depression. He used alcohol to self-medicate. When he finally went to the doctor, he was prescribed Valium, commonly used back then. This contributed to a combined problem of drug and alcohol abuse.

            What does it mean if you have a relative who was prone to problems with anxiety or nervousness or depression? Actually, it’s more important in diagnosis than in treatment. The recovery process is the same whether the cause is your genetic makeup or if your anxiety occurs spontaneously. If you are genetically prone to anxiety or depression or alcoholism, it doesn’t mean that you will end up with a disorder, so don’t be frightened by it. It simply means that you should be aware of it, especially if you start experiencing symptoms.  

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