My maternal grandmother showed signs of depression and was agoraphobic and suffered panic attacks, none of which was ever diagnosed. My paternal aunt was hospitalised for depression. My T thinks my depression is situational, I can see why she would think that as I didn't have a great time when I was a kid, but I don't know why she is so dismissive of the family history of depression.

I know the scientists are working on genetic testing for mental illnesses (I think they are pretty close for developing a test for bipolar). I can't decide whether I would want to know if I have a genetic predispostion or not. To me it seems like a lose - lose situation. Either I'm depressed because of my genes and there is nothing much that can be done to get me better or I've got no excuse for my illness and I should just pull my socks up. Maybe it is that frame of mind that my T wants to avoid by concentrating on the situational rather than the inherited aspects.