Posted by ksvt on December 8, 2000, at 7:23:23
In reply to Fear of passing mental illness gene to kids, posted by PhoenixGirl on December 7, 2000, at 13:23:44
> Phoenix - I certainly share your concern. I have 2 teenagers and I find my self ever vigilant for signs of depression, particularly with my son, who has always somehow seemed more vulnerable to me. I'm not sure about the genetics part of it, becasue I've never been able to find much evidence of depression of it in my family. I worry more sometimes about my kids just spending so much time around a depressed person, altho admittedly, this is something I brood about more when I am depressed. I just finished reading for the 3rd or 4th time, Kay Redfield Jamison's book An Unquiet Mind. She is bi-polar. She does not have kids altho that is more a matter of circumstance than choice. She talks about this very issue and clearly comes down on the side of having children. You should read it if you have not already. ksvt
Hi. I´m 22, and I would really like to have kids someday. However, there is a mental illness gene that plagues my family. My sister and I have had depression since we were 12 years old. I have had some obsessive-compulsive disorder and a great deal of generalized anxiety disorder. My mom is bipolar. My paternal grandfather died from alcoholism, and my maternal half-aunt committed suicide.
> Clearly, there is a misery gene in my family. Whenever I´m in the throes of a terrible depression, I feel that I could never risk putting another person through this. For that reason, I am considering not having any children. If I had a child, and that child suffers the way I have suffered, I would feel extremely guilty. But I really want children of my own, and I´m sure my future husband will too. If a guy wanted children and/or knew of my mental illness gene, he may think twice about marrying me. Also, if I don´t have kids I will be missing out on a big part of life.
> Does anybody else out there feel this torment? Please share your thoughts.
poster:ksvt
thread:3494
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20001117/msgs/3536.html