Is it true that some people are depressed simply because that's how their genes are?

[ZayKayWill]

This Post Has Been Edited

[salvator here]

I don't know either really. Maybe we could be predisposed to anxiety and depression but I've not had any doctor tell me this with certainty. Mental Illness does seem to run in my family from what I've been told (in my case, some relatives were also bipolar), but then again, they didn't have the best of circumstances either., and as a result suffered emotionally. If I reason out much of what I'm feeling, I would say they are normal repercussions based on my life experiences.

To me.. admitting that we 'cant help it' because we are predisposed removes control away from ourselves. I'm always seeking understanding as to why I still have anxiety and depression for no (apparent) reason. I feel I do have unresolved issues that I'm still holding on to, or outside influences are triggering these feelings without realizing it.

[Kirk]

I saw a psychologist who once told me that their is a genetic and environment component to most mental disorders.

[Jull]

It could be. However I haven't seen anyone like this so I don't know :v

[MainerMikeBrown]

Although genetics plays a part in someone having mental illness, it's not the only cause. Their is never one cause of mental illness. And their is never one way to treat it either.

Mental illness is caused by a number of reasons, such as the person's belief system, past traumatic experiences that the individual has gone through, the person's life style, brain chemistry, genetics, and more.

[Ponder]

“…no one simply “inherits” depression from their mother or father. Each person inherits a unique combination of genes from their mother and father, and certain combinations can predispose to a particular illness.” ←Stanford Medicine - Genetics of The Brain Function: Major Depression and Genetics.

“… Just because a person inherits a gene that predisposes him or her to a depressive illness, it does not mean that he or she is destined to develop major depression or bipolar disorder. It is believed that a genetic influence is only partially responsible for causing depression. Other factors may also play a role.” / “… These may include environmental factors such as childhood experiences, current stressors, traumatic events, exposure to substances, medical illnesses, etc.”← All About Depression.COM / A Gene for Depression?

IMO given it's history and current path, the world is predisposed to Major Depressive Disorder. Australia was ranked second in world in anti-depressant prescriptions with that rate doubling between 2000 - 2011. The way in which this epidemic is being handled is one of the many "factors" that perpetuates the spread of depression. That's another challenging story in itself. My point is that the problem is not just embedded in ourselves or just in our families. As someone that comes from a history of major predispositions and been living with clinical depression for most of his life, I highly recommend adopting the view point of seeing this mental illness as systemic to environmental conditioning. That is to say despite having predispositions one still always has control regardless of the amount of preconditioning.

I care less if historical matters have encoded my genes that may latter be triggered due to unforeseen circumstances and events. I know the more I focus on said weakness the more I tend to wallow in self pity which in itself becomes an addictive chemical. Emotions are like chemical processes with negative ones having us feel uncomfortable and positive ones having us feel pleasant. More often than not it's our environment that tends to effect the way we feel. This is at any rate what I have come to beleive. The more I allow myself to be sit with uncomfortable feelings the more likely I will expose myself to negative environments. Making the effort to create a positive environment seems to offset those unpleasant feelings that seem linger for more than the good. Hence it takes more effort the longer I've been subject to negative energy than it does than that of longer duration of taking in positive forms.
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I don't know the answers. like I said ... I struggle pretty hard with it from day to day. I'll share the following video - although I warn you the music in it is very distracting. None the less, I found some really great points that relate to genetics and environmental conditioning. As for the rest ... I only take in what resonates for me. In that regard ... I only found about 1/8th worth digesting so left the rest on my plate. Perhaps next year when I watch it I may take in more or less.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxiGgxL5btA

So instead of wallowing with my proposed predispositions and being too scared to walk under the sun ... I'm off to embrace this mornings UV! How one thinks is crucial to how they perceive and receive.

[iwanttobeok]

Yes, I suppose some can have those nasty predispositions, whether genetic or environmental, or from your personality. But too many people just brush it off as that sort of thing instead of really putting an effort into getting help/giving out help. And I guess you [I]can[I] inherit depression from your parents through just being around them X/

[MaineRose]

Yes. Depression, bipolar and anxiety are genetic but environment does play a role. Some people are genetically predisposed to have altered levels of serotonin and dopamine and sometimes traumatic events cause that.

[Twichard]

Hi I have several family members who have suffered from depression but I also blame post traumatic stress disorder especially in my case my childhood was a nightmare I ended up the same route many people with my background I went through a spectrum of drug's then I had a son and daughter both of them have disabilitys Its been very stressful raising them with they're health problems my son was in hospital constantly for his first 5 or 6 year's very ill coupled with the upbringing I had to endure I blame all my mental illness on trauma related incidents Im just a nervous wreck just waiting for the next horrible thing to take hold it just fallows me

[Anne1221]

I think genetics (nature) way outweighs nurture (your upbringing).