Bipolar? A Generational Curse?
Published: Wed, 08/18/10
Hi ,
How's it going?
Hope you are doing well.
I was talking to a friend of mine the other
day.
He was complaining in a sort of jokingly
way about a "generational curse" his family
had.
Apparently all of the men in his family had
curly hair.
But the women all had straight hair.
It didn't make sense to anyone in his family.
None of the men liked their curly hair.
Yet all of the women wanted curly hair.
It was completely one of those "the grass
is always greener" situations.
But this friend of mine wasn't making a
big deal out of it - he was just laughing
about the whole situation.
It made me think.
A generational curse?
Well, I know of something else that could
be considered a generational curse:
Bipolar disorder.
I've heard some people call it that.
I'm not sure it's the best description of it,
but that's the way some people choose to
look at it.
The reason some think this is because there
is a genetic connection with bipolar disorder.
People who have immediate relatives who
have the disorder are more likely to
develop it themselves.
But that doesn't make it a guarantee.
Science calls this a genetic
predisposition.
What that means is that the person is more
susceptible to developing bipolar disorder,
should their environment and their brain
chemistry mix in the right way.
But it depends on a lot of other factors, as
well.
Even identical twins aren't guaranteed to
both have the disorder if one does.
So there's no guarantee that if your mom
or dad has it that you will, also.
I've actually heard some people freak out
about this.
They are afraid that just because their
mother/father/brother/sister/aunt/etc has
bipolar disorder that they are doomed to get
it themselves.
What they don't realize is that instead of
freaking out about it and stressing
themselves out, they could instead be taking
measures to prevent it.
Yes, you heard me right.
Prevent it.
Even someone without bipolar disorder can
benefit from stress management, mood
management, and anger management
techniques.
And you never know for sure if you really
are genetically predispositioned to bipolar
disorder.
If you are, it might just help you to avoid
the onset of bipolar disorder, or at the very
least, to minimize the intensity of the
disorder.
If your loved one has bipolar disorder, and
you feel that you are at risk for developing
the disorder, then take some practical steps
in your own life.
Look at the techniques you are helping your
loved one to learn, and then bother to learn
them yourself.
This will help you, and it will also help them;
after all, people learn better by example.
Of course, if you feel you already have
developed bipolar disorder, or you are not
sure, then you should see a professional to
determine your diagnosis.
You may have bipolar disorder, another
disorder, or just high stress levels.
But don't bother worrying about genetic
predispositions - instead, act to prevent
them.
What are your thoughts on this?
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Well, I have to go!
Your Friend,
Dave
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