[marmaduke]

I've always attributed my anxiety to my upbringing. Mother was cold, critical, unloving. I felt unseen and unwanted.

Am I wrong, is it really more to do with genetics?

While mother was hard as nails, father was an anxious type, suffered depression. His mother (my grandmother) I know had been admitted to an asylum several times (1940s)

I was a sensitive child thats for sure.

The genetic theories do make sense I suppose, my middle sister is as hard as nails & narcissistic just like mother, she was like that from the get go.

Mothers coldness affected me and my older sister badly making us timid, nervy types.

Middle sister however was just made tougher than ever even more NPD a bully and a ruthless cow. The dysfuntional upbringing never made her timid!

So, maybe it is genetic, but I still think if I'd had normal parents instead of two narcs I'd would have survived much much better.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...s-likely-nervo

Opinions folks?

[healingme4me]

Not sure, because generations before me, didn't seem treat their illnesses quite the way we(plural/societal) seem to. I'm prone to point to the anxiety itself from my maternal side. Yet....there's something about my paternal grandmother that I've wondered about. The 'vitamin' that she was on, only for her pregnancy to my father, that my grandfather even in my teenage presence would rib her about. That pregnancy came upon them quickly, if I do the math. She did observe something in her youth, that I'd err to say created ptsd? My father also said of his paternal gram, she used something of a natural solution for nerves.
My mom her last couple of years, living did wind up on Celexa, of all ad's to be given. I say that because that was my first ad, to also help anxiety. Mom could be a nervous ninny. I've never seen a 'backseat driver' such as herself, with everyone. Hands clenched, jumpy. Even when I learned to drive I reminded her, yes me the minor, reminded her that such reactions could cause an accident. Stepdad then decided and I agreed, it wouldn't be wise to learn to drive with such an anxious reaction.

Can this be hereditary? I'm beginning to wonder.

[CosmicRose]

I think its both. My mother was also uncaring, cold and emotionally cruel. My father's side has lots of anxiety, including his father and a few of my cousins and one of my uncles. He calls it his family curse. He often tells me, "You can beat it. My father beat it, I beat it, your uncle beat it and your cousin beat it. You just need to get angry and say I deserve to be here just like everyone else."

[tom2123]

I think it can most certainly be inherited. In my own case I actually believe it to be. For example my mother has it and so do I. Could it be coincidence or some other factor? yes. Not likely at all though seeing as how bad she's had it and when you also keep in mind that a few others in my family have had mental issues as well.