Hope for those genetically predisposed to anxiety

BookOfPsalms · Post by **BookOfPsalms** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 4:49 am

it can be difficult to break the habits that we got from our families but it isn't impossible...i've experienced it...the trick is to believe that you can do something about it and to avoid thoughts like how its something genetic so there is nothing i can do...don't limit yourself...we are beings with unlimited potential.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 4:40 am

I believe that there is genetic predisposition to anxiety. My mom had anxiety and my sister and I both ended up with it. Our brother is fine, and he grew up with the same set of parents. Of my own 3 children, our son who looks the most like me, is a worrier. I feel badly that he is like this, because I know what it is like. He's almost 7 and has been worrying since he was 4-5 (it started with an overflowing toilet, and he started worrying about all toilets). We can be in a car and near an embankment and he will say, "oh no, what if our car falls in!). Our second child couldn't car less! The third is a baby and hopefully she will be like #2.
I try to help him the best that I can and try not to let the kids know when I am anxious. When I took my first plane ride (across the country no less), my husband said he couldn't tell that I was nervous. I wanted our kids not to be afraid of it. Growing up, I always heard my mom say, "I would never get on an airplane, if you crash there is no way you can live, ect." Or on ferry boats I remember her asking me when I was about 9 or 10, "Do you ever worry that you will just jump off into the water?" I hadn't up to THAT point. I make sure to NEVER say things like that to my kids. I know my mom was just trying to see if others shared her thoughts, but it only made things worse for me!

Anyhow, take care!
Ocean

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 3:01 pm

I believe there is a genetic predisposition to anxiety and depression also. But I also think negative thinking is a learned behavior. In Session 3 they say that if we learned negative thinking we can then learn positive thinking. But it got me to thinking about who we learned this negative thinking from. Most likely our parents. And that made me feel weird thinking that my parents taught this way of thinking to me. I do know that my father was slightly agoraphopic and anxious. All five of us kids have varying degrees of anxiety issues. Not sure if that means it's in our genes or that our parents "taught" it to us. Kind of sad to me to think my parents taught me to be this way though.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 7:38 am

I really believe that the disposition for "anxiety" is a family trait that can be passed on. However, how we deal with it is a learned behavior that can be changed. I can spot people who struggle with anxiety and what I always considered "the creative brain" I've seen successful people and the worst. I myself have learned to deal with it in a poor way that's why I am here. But it has not always been that way. Yes, I have always been anxious but not always a basket case.
I am an artist. Many who struggle with this are. Van Gogh, he had the same stuggles. But, this thing that's hard for us to learn to deal with is also the thing that makes us succssful in what we do. We have to think positive. I can analyze negetive things to death and get myself all worked up, or I can analyze the world around me and make beautiful art. It really is how you look at it. We are the thinkers and creators and when we can see that this weakness can really be a strenghth we can accomplish so much.