Anxiety Over Passing Mental Illness to Your Children

[Sconi]

Am I the only one? I just keep praying that I give my DD the best life possible so that if she has inherited the depression, it's not triggered too often. It's so sad that my family has so many issues and I have depression and anxiety (but at least I have learned to deal with it when appropriate coping mechanisms aren't working). I never want my daughter to know how crazy my family is and so I don't speak to any of them.

[jan21]

I often worry about this myself. Not only have I struggled with anxiety/depression, but my Dad was hospitalized a lot in my childhood for depression, my grandma was on antidpressives for most of her life (mostly after my uncle committed suicide at age 21). That's what worries me the most - from my mom's description it sounds like he either had schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (no one really talks abut him including her so I can't be sure).

I guess I will just have to be proactive and be on the lookout for potential problems.

Janice
Laura & Elizabeth 11/29/00

[SmilingHelps]

I can understand your concerns because I have the same ones. Mostly, I fear that my daughter will misinterpret my tenseness and anxiety as something she has done wrong (ie: Mommy must be mad because of something that I did wrong). I worry that she will feel guilty for my anxiety issues.
Growing up, my mother suffered from severe depression (and still does). No matter how old I was, I ALWAYS blamed myself. I would tell myself that I just wasn't good enough and this was why she was always so unhappy...
I do not suffer from depression, but I get very tense with anxiety. I worry constantly, and I pray that my daughter does not feel responsible. this is why I'm trying to control this issue now before my daughter is cognisant of it.
I also pray that, genetically, she has not inherited my mother's depression or my anxiety...

[BC-Shelli]

It's a huge worry for me. My dad suffered from severe depression. I have chronic depression and anxiety. We suspect (are fairly certain) that DD has anxiety issues. It's obviously a genetic trait....I was so hoping she would be more like my mother. My mother has dealt with a bit of depression in her life but it was due to circumstances at the time and short term, she is very outgoing and has no anxiety issues. But no such luck. Unfortionatly we cannot convience DD to talk to a therapist about her problems.