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News Anxiety Disorders Linked to Genes

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anthony

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Finnish researchers say they have identified genes that may predispose a person to anxiety disorders such as panic disorder or social phobia.

Other major types of anxiety disorders are generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Study leader Iiris Hovatta of the Academy of Finland Research Program on Neuroscience found a statistical association between certain genes that influence human behavior and specific anxiety disorders.

"Environmental factors, such as stressful life events, may trigger an anxiety disorder more easily in people who have a genetic predisposition to the illness," Hovatta said in a statement.

The study used data on 321 individuals diagnosed with anxiety disorder and 653 controls collected as part of a national Health 2000 Survey.

Hovatta reported different genes showed evidence for association to specific types of anxiety disorders, such as panic disorder, social phobias or generalized anxiety disorder.

The finding will be published in Biological Psychiatry in October.

Source: ArcaMax Publishing
 
They still haven't got the hard proof yet... though obviously getting closer by statistical characteristics through numbers. Would still love to see an actual medical association, not a statistical one playing the numbers game.
 
Anthony,

I have always felt that there is a link between our genes and our disease. My grandfather, while no professionally diagnoses, was definitely suffering from ?
PTSD, or some form of mental issues.

My mother is the only 1 of the original 7 children who is NOT affected with some form of mental issues. There are a multitude of cousins with mental issues in our family. One of my uncles and several of my cousins have had electric shock treatment.

I tend to agree with the findings you spoke of in regard to a stress level jump starting the onset. I know that my final breakdown was caused by a stressful event and my grandfather was under a period of severe stress shortly before he had his breakdown.

I think that if others were to look closely at their family they would also find clues to this link.

I am curious about that?
 
Yeah, I've felt for a long time that there was some sort of genetic predisposition involved here with PTSD and other mental illnesses.

Looking at my own family and the fact that both my brother and I have PTSD. Different causes...same affect. Plus my mother and my sister (she's passed away) both with anxiety issues that require(d) meds. My brother and I have joked that our family should be poster children for mental health.

It's a wonder to me that this path hasn't been more fully explored before.

Lisa
 
I think a lot can be found from something simpler in regard to anxiety... smokers. A good majority of people with anxiety issues smoke or have smoked a good proportion of their lives. Smoking is a form of stress relief. Alcohol is another. You will typically find people who suffer some form off anxiety will use one or the other regularly, if not both presently or a good proportion of their life, to maintain anxiety unknowingly.

I agree and believe there is something too this... though what I am not sure. I do not believe there is a predisposition to PTSD itself, but more a predisposition to suffering anxiety. PTSD is just the worst case scenario once you have endured abnormal trauma itself.
 
I must agree with the 2 issues you spoke of. My mothers brothers and sisters all had some type of habit. Some smoked and some drank and some did both.

"1" aunt was referred to as the family hypochondriac. She was always in the hospital and had something wrong with her, or so she thought. I firmly believe she was suffering with this anxiety but just had no name for what ailed her. She spent her entire life like this til her early death.

My grandfather did not do either, but once he snapped he went out to the family cabin on the lake and stayed there 4 entire years. Alone. Grama would go out every weekend with food and clean clothes. He never worked another day in his life. Stress pushed him over the edge. In fact, mother says I am so like him in my isolation and "spells" as they called what grampa had.

PTSD is not genetic but I certainly agree that the predisposition to the anxiety and panic and things is genetic. There are just to many signs to indicate it is. My entire family on my mothers side is screwed up. Even my sister is a recluse.

Definitely is food for thought
 
I would really like it when they find the actual gene itself, the neurobiology aspect of the issue. Once they find it... maybe they can treat it before anxiety has a chance. I guess though that once they get to that level of treatment... maybe science will be genetically modifying the embryo upon fertilisation and removing all the distracting genetics of our make-up. I guess they will likely find it eventually and make a drug to half heartedly treat it.... something no doubt you will need to continue buying or become addicted.
 
And another issue raises its' ugly head! Medication. One of my pet peeves is the fact that the drug companies are the ones who "discover" the magic pills.

IMHO there should be no drug companies involved. Independent labs and colleges and medical facilities should do the research and develope the drugs. They just have to much control over the results and o course the cost.

I have no solution to the issue and my ideas are not feasible but it still bugs me.
 
I think a lot can be found from something simpler in regard to anxiety... smokers. A good majority of people with anxiety issues smoke or have smoked a good proportion of their lives. Smoking is a form of stress relief.

I felt I had to respond to this, as it hits the nail on the head for me! I just quit smoking 4 months ago, and have found that my anxiety issues skyrocketed. I knew it was going to happen, because it has happened every other time I have quit, tried to, or even thought about quitting smoking. I have smoked for over 37 years, and each time I quit, my anxiety levels were higher, and more sensitive, afterward, which usually led to me taking up smoking again, to relieve the anxiety.

Quitting this time was so stressful, that I ended up in the ER for what I thought was a heart attack, but was just an extreme anxiety attack. I called the paramedics, and all that! Later, my P-doc put me on increased dosages of xanax and added perphenazine, to help with the worst of it.

My therapist also told me that it is common for people with PTSD to have some sort of addictive behavior. He specializes in PTSD disorder, so I have learned to trust what he says. So I believe you are right, there, too, Anthony.

Just to add to the statistics, most of my relatives on both my mother's and my father's side have personality disorders, whether they are abusers, depressed, anxiety-ridden like what my mother calls "high-strung", or just plain strange. So I've always known that anxiety and depression run in my family, and I'm not surprised that I feel so messed up!

skyp
 
Somebody I know is a horse trainer. Used to tag along when he went to various barns. He always talked about different horse personalities and such. Which mare was bred to what stud and so on. He was pretty secure in arguing that blood lines made up half of the horse's personality, with the other part coming from the environment and how the owner treated the animal. So, he knew just by the parents what the foal was going to turn out like.

We are animals too. I think it makes sense that genes play a big role in our weaknesses and strengths. All the people in my family are hot headed and have addictions. All the people in my Ex's family (save for one) are very withdrawn and anti-social and all (including the one) have addictions.
 
No surprise there. Ones personality is considered to be 50 or more % influenced by parents personalities its pretty logical to go after the certain genes and find out, if something happens if you maybe shut those particular ones down.

I liked this article in "Newsweek" about something similar, not too hard to read even for me. "Shyness, sadness, curiosity, joy. Is it nature or nurture?"
 
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