Idk if it’s a genetic as you think. More likely that your parents were depressed and therefore you were raised in a depressed household and yourself grew up to be depressed. I think it’s the same with addiction.
Well, the science behind takes those possibilities into consideration.
The studies include children adopted into bipolar households, and they do not develop bipolar disorder as often as biological children; and also children of parents with bipolar disorder adopted by non-bipolar and relatively healthy families that develop bipolar disorder nonetheless. These studies also include twins with bipolar disorder predisposition who, even when separated and given different environments, both develop bipolar disorder.
Stress plays a part. For many with predisposition, stress gives the push. This is known as the diathesis-stress model. And, yes, some people develop bipolar disorder without known bipolar relatives.
Yet:
Bipolar disorder is frequently inherited, with genetic factors accounting for approximately 80% of the cause of the condition. Bipolar disorder is the most likely psychiatric disorder to be passed down from family. If one parent has bipolar disorder, there’s a 10% chance that their child will develop the illness. If both parents have bipolar disorder, the likelihood of their child developing bipolar disorder rises to 40%.
In all seriousness, I think a lot of us choose not to procreate. I had my kid before I got diagnosed, and I don’t know if I would choose to reproduce knowing my diagnosis. Thankfully, so far my kid seems fine, just neurodivergent.
I have horrible depression and ADD and just general overall neurosis. My entire fucking life has been miserable, I cannot even think of any reason to pass on these genes unless I want to torture someone.
Some of those genes were probably helpful in some way in a different context. Kind of like sickle cell in people from malaria prone areas and genes that made the plague less deadly but also make autoimmune diseases more likely. People often forget that there usually aren’t many universally superior genes, just genes that help someone survive better in a specific context. The value of traits is relative.
Add comment