Is Mental Illness Genetic???

Just wanting to know If mental illness is genetic? The father of my unborn
baby, i have just found out he has severe mental problems. I dont know
exactly what his condition is but it is very likely to be like multiple
personalities. Can this be passed on to my baby?

On Wed, 26 May 2004 17:03:23 +0800, "Kelly Hassett"
wrote:

Just wanting to know If mental illness is genetic? The father of my unborn
baby, i have just found out he has severe mental problems. I dont know
exactly what his condition is but it is very likely to be like multiple
personalities. Can this be passed on to my baby?

Some mental illnesses are hereditary. MPD generally isn't. I recommend
you find out what his diagnosis is, and read up on the specific
illness in question.

Naomi

"Kelly Hassett wrote ...

Just wanting to know If mental illness is genetic? The father of my unborn
baby, i have just found out he has severe mental problems. I dont know
exactly what his condition is but it is very likely to be like multiple
personalities. Can this be passed on to my baby?

Well my dad has Aspergers, so do I so does my son. Also I have things like
depression and OCD.

Andrea.

I have bipolar disorder which is not known to be herditary but I can say
after looking at my family I think it does. My grandfather had it and so
does my mom and my aunt. so there is a possiblity that it can be herditary
and still not know if it is.

Jennifer
Ariana 8/17/03
Home.earthlink.net/~soalus

"Andrea" wrote in message
et...
"Kelly Hassett wrote ...

Just wanting to know If mental illness is genetic? The father of my
unborn
baby, i have just found out he has severe mental problems. I dont know
exactly what his condition is but it is very likely to be like multiple
personalities. Can this be passed on to my baby?

Well my dad has Aspergers, so do I so does my son. Also I have things like
depression and OCD.

Andrea.

"Kelly Hassett" wrote in message
...
Just wanting to know If mental illness is genetic? The father of my unborn
baby, i have just found out he has severe mental problems. I dont know
exactly what his condition is but it is very likely to be like multiple
personalities. Can this be passed on to my baby?


It might be worth it to get the information on the condition, and speak to a
genetic counselor. They will take the family history on both sides and go
back several generations. In our case, most of the things in the family tree
don't appear to be genetic, and the things that are are ones where keeping
an eye on it when the dangerous age approaches makes a big difference (colon
cancer on my side of the family, breast cancer on my husband's).

It was a big relief.

Bipolar disorder can cause Jeckyll/Hyde mood shifts. I dated a guy with it,
and it is downright scary at times. It really seemed like there were three
parts to him-the depressed, moody, upset, if you leave me I'll kill myself
part, the violent, aggressive, abusive, run off and do anything without
thinking about the consequences part, and the caring, sweet guy I'd known
when we first started dating. My father in law also has this condition,
controlled now with medication, -and it's one of the ones we checked with
the geneticist about. It can be genetic, but I know the geneticist didn't
see it as a big concern for us, because there really wasn't the long family
history that would indicate a genetic link.

Multiple Personality Disorder (or Disassociative Identity Disorder - DID as
it is now known) is generally caused by (normally severe) abuse in early
childhood. Therefore this is a mental disorder that is not genetic or
hereditary, though the predisposition for things like depression and
schizophrenia for example can be. Sorry to hear about the father of your
baby. That's a tough diagnosis and often needs years of therapy/drugs to
overcome. There are lots of websites and books on the subject. I would
read up on it if that ends up being the diagnosis.
"Kelly Hassett" wrote in message
...
Just wanting to know If mental illness is genetic? The father of my unborn
baby, i have just found out he has severe mental problems. I dont know
exactly what his condition is but it is very likely to be like multiple
personalities. Can this be passed on to my baby?

"Kelly Hassett" wrote in message
...
Just wanting to know If mental illness is genetic? The father of my unborn
baby, i have just found out he has severe mental problems. I dont know
exactly what his condition is but it is very likely to be like multiple
personalities. Can this be passed on to my baby?


From what I have heard, yes they can be passed on genetically. But I don't
know if it has been scientifically proven. Maybe someone else can be more
specific. I know depression and anxiety run in my family. It just helps to
know the symptoms and how to take care of it. Also from what I have heard
alot of the time multiple personalities are a coping mechanism that alot
kids adopt when they are abused and have no other way to escape or deal with
it. So there may be more of a history to his illness than genetics
necessarily.
Kat
Mama to Maggie 11/03/01
and Will 02/10/04

Andrea wibbled
Kelly Hassett wrote ...

Just wanting to know If mental illness is genetic? The father of
my unborn baby, i have just found out he has severe mental
problems. I dont know exactly what his condition is but it is
very likely to be like multiple personalities. Can this be passed
on to my baby?

Well my dad has Aspergers, so do I so does my son. Also I have
things like depression and OCD.

Asperger's Syndrome is NOT a mental illness. It has a tendency to be
inherited but it's not a certainty. It almost certainly has nothing
whatsoever to do with Kelly's fears.

Jac

CY wrote in message
news:eZ1tc.29371$wa.8905@fed1read07...
Multiple Personality Disorder (or Disassociative Identity Disorder - DID
as
it is now known) is generally caused by (normally severe) abuse in early
childhood.
Never heard that before. Can you show your sources for this, please?
Debbie


Therefore this is a mental disorder that is not genetic or
hereditary, though the predisposition for things like depression and
schizophrenia for example can be. Sorry to hear about the father of your
baby. That's a tough diagnosis and often needs years of therapy/drugs to
overcome. There are lots of websites and books on the subject. I would
read up on it if that ends up being the diagnosis.
"Kelly Hassett" wrote in message
...
Just wanting to know If mental illness is genetic? The father of my
unborn
baby, i have just found out he has severe mental problems. I dont know
exactly what his condition is but it is very likely to be like multiple
personalities. Can this be passed on to my baby?

"Welches" wrote in message
news:N03tc.92$aF2.47@newsfe3-gui...

CY wrote in message
news:eZ1tc.29371$wa.8905@fed1read07...
Multiple Personality Disorder (or Disassociative Identity Disorder - DID
as
it is now known) is generally caused by (normally severe) abuse in early
childhood.
Never heard that before. Can you show your sources for this, please?
Debbie

Sybil? Severely abused as a child, created many personalities to help her
deal with it.
--

Jamie & Taylor
Earth Angel, 1/3/03

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