We know that Depression is hereditary, STOP IT!

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   SwaggeretteMomposted 14 years ago

   I feel that there is not enough being done to stop Youth Depression, and Childrens mental health enough in this world. Don't lie to yourself. That sad and anxious feeling that you feel so often could very well be happening to your child and they don't know how to desrcibe what they are feeling or why, and may not even know that there is something off, due to lack of life knowledge. We know that it is not normal to cry all the time, and we notice how we do not even want to pursue our hobbies anymore, but a child doesn't have hobbies, and that anxious feeling could leave them feeling frustrated and irritable which creates the anger issues that we see turn into Angry Adults, or Grouchy. I constantly watch for my sons moods, and you can tell when he has not had enough sleep, as well as when something is on his mind, and I try my best to teach him what I know about what I feel... When I have a panic attack he knows that I mainly have a "bad feeling" and although Anxiety has been an Enemy, it has also been a friend by Taking certain Anxiety feelings as a "SIGN" and stay home instead of out and about, or saved myself from an attempted rape by Anxiety about a stranger at the Door and asking who it was through the door while locking it, as I often do when an unexpected knock happens. I just feel sick and naseous and my chest is heavy, my pulse increases and then I know, somethings going to happen, so pay attention. The things that happen vary from accidents to relationship problems that can be disastrous. I wait for the day that he starts talking to me about these "sick stomachs" or scared feeling but oray for his sake that he lives a healthy anxiety free life with good intuition and not just attacks that happen just because... like the ones that wake me up in the morning. The feeling is usually a couple days in advance, and somethings are unavoidable, nor do we realize are anxieties or the way that we prefer things like many whom have OCD for example. I notice that I can only handle so much noise, and then I have to find my inner calm or bite my families head off and then feel guiilty so I put the earphones in, and it stops. I focus on the music, or completely ignore it, and my pace slows as I cool of and remember later but temporarly forget or realize due to habit. Anxiety is one BIG SIGN in depression. IF your kid feels like this now, how will he feel at 20 or 30. Somethings are inevitable because of rape, or other trauma, but stopping Anxiety when it starts saves lives, and makes many more lives liveable that could eventually be great people of history because they diidn't live their life trapped by a FEELING, or attack that takes our breath away and messes with our heads that we inherited yet treatable and either prevented or supressed greatly with the proper treatment. Is there a cure to depression? Could it be tackling anxiety when it starts?

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      Rafiniposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Childhood depression is a fairly new concept.  Little more than 25 years ago it wasn't even believed that a child could suffer from depression.  I know, cuz I wasn't believed.  I was told by my mother and doctor "Children don't get depressed"

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      LarasMamaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Maybe you should put this information into a hub.

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         Anesidoraposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         With paragraph breaks.

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      TheGlassSpiderposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      No, unfortunately there is no "cure" for depression. Also, depression is not solely "hereditary." Many people are mistaken in thinking that there is only one cause of depression (and many other disorders) and there is not; this is one of the reasons it can be so difficult to treat.
      
      There *is* increasing awareness that children can suffer from this disorder - and there is nothing in the diagnostic manual to prevent someone from diagnosing a child with this disorder. However, you should be advised that the most prevalent form of treatment for depression is medication - medications which are not, for the most part, indicated for use in children. So be aware that as we move toward the acceptance of this diagnosis in children we are probably also moving toward the use of drugs that have not been tested for children - I certainly understand the need to see this problem (where it ACTUALLY exists) in children - but I fear some of the consequences of treatment in children and hope that practitioners will move beyond drugs.
      
      If you or someone you know is suffering with this disorder, please do additional research and make sure to see a specialist (not JUST your family doctor or pediatrician, they are often NOT thoroughly trained in mental disorders and their diagnosis).
      
      ETA: I should also add that there IS a difference between depression and anxiety (although the two are often found together), and that I can't help but notice that while you start out talking about children who have these problems, you end up talking about YOUR problems with anxiety and how you wait for them to show up in your kid - please don't forget that children learn from their parents how to behave and emote - and there IS some evidence that children learn things like anxiety and depression from - you guessed it - their parental units.

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         Rafiniposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Good call, Glass Spider.  Thanks.

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         SwaggeretteMomposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I agree that not all depression is hereditary, there are some things like hormones, molestation, abuse,divorce, and even other diseases that can cause depression, and I agree that we not only learn from our "guardian" but children mimic what they see and hear as well. For me, I have panic episodes that are so terrifying sometimes that I become reclusive and hide and cry because my friends went somewhere and I refused to go, then was upset for letting illness control me once again, and it creates a domino effect where the end is me waking one day, and wondering what the heck  I have been doing for days as I can't recall the previous week.. I learned 4 years ago that I now have Epilepsy, and the only thing they can tell me is that its stress induced.... they are right, if theres anything BIG happening, like 4 years ago, I left my EX, without ever turning back, and had my first seizure. I was broken hearted, and to start losing hours and days, and taking 3 different meds 3 times a day has been quite an adjustment. My mother is Bi-polar and everyone that meets her can tell that theres something off, but my depression only hits after a seizure, or panic attacks. I rarely feel sad, and I am an optimistic person, but then this "stranger" consumes me for however long, and I have no recollection. Its been quite a challenge, but my doctor and I agree that I should monitor my symptoms closely and hopefully I can avoid the symptoms before they become crippling.

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            ceciliabeltranposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            It only became hereditary because of genomic imprinting. You can stop the cycle by changing the way you habitually think and cope with your depression. It is not a curse.You can rise above it. Genes are the habits of that genetic line. If you do something often enough, they become written in your genes and you pass them on.
            
            So what habits help with depression?
            
            exercise, forgiving the moment past, food that are not sweet that will make you prone to crash, herbs in your carbohydrates, faking smiles and laughter at least 30 minutes to one hour everyday to induce the muscles to generate the right neurotransmitters to match the smile.
            
            Lastly, be surrounded by people who honestly like you and give you positive encouragement. Don't hover around people who judge you too often.
            
            If you're married to one, get busy around the house or outside. Limit opportunities for the downer to get to you. You can have relationships with difficult people if you just know when to avoid them.
            
            Maybe you will not completely get over it, but it will greatly reduce and if you are still of childbearing age, it will not be a dominant gene, but a recessive one.

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               Home Girlposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               When I was I child I wanted to be perfect. Why? Because my mom wanted me to be perfect. She never praised me but always scolded for this or that.It took me way too may years to deal with it (not being perfect) and a lot of bad decisions due to it. Could be worse though. My rationale in me saved me. Children do suffer from depression, but sometimes we do not have to rush them to the doctor. We just have to sit and talk to them and find the roots of it and what can we do to correct it without medication.

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                  SwaggeretteMomposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  Rushing them to the doctor would cause the child to panic too, or feel like they are wierd, and make them insecure as if they were not already. Try reading up on childhood depression, and start making more time for them so that they can begin to feel comfortable being themselves around you and you around them too.. communication is key, as well as observation and acceptance without judgement or treating them differrentlt as in overly nice and smothering.

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                     ceciliabeltranposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     It's very hard when its your child. Just know that a child has her own demons. She/He chooses what she learns. The thing is, as much as we want to be good parents, we are only limited by what we understand about life ourselves. I just think that honoring a child's feelings, validating how they feel whether good or bad is the only way we can help a child find her way through her own happiness.

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               LegendaryHeroposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               Wrong.

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                  ceciliabeltranposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  wow, how eloquent. that convinced me.

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                     LegendaryHeroposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     What would be the point?

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                        ceciliabeltranposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                        no point. you say wrong and that's enough to convince me you know what you're talking about.

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                           LegendaryHeroposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                           I do actually know what I'm talking about. Have you ever taken a biology class?
                           
                           Also here is information on Genomic Imprinting. I suggest you read it.
                           
                           http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genomic_imprinting

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                              ceciliabeltranposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                              ok...tell the editor of Psychology today that, see if he even responds to you.
                              
                              oh and i don't read wiki...medical writers go to Nature or Jstor
                              http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v8/n1 … 5_BX4.html

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                                 LegendaryHeroposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                                 That doesn't prove your point at all. There is nothing in there about habits changing your genes.

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                                    ceciliabeltranposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                                    well, read between the lines. mice and mazes, look it up. it is an established fact. genes are created by habitual behaviors. they are not there because god put them there. they were acquired through time and passed on. EPIGENETICS or the theory of evolution. adaptation is a set of behaviors that influence genes. depression is a habitual state. stop debating basic neuroscience and genetics with me. just share what you know.

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                                       Rafiniposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                                       I wonder what habits made my eyes green when my moms were brown and my dads were blue........

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                                          ceciliabeltranposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                                          hmmm....ok i'll actually dignify that.
                                          
                                          genes adapt. so if you live in a cold climate where the sun don't shine,your skin will turn white to reallocate resources from pigmenting your skin and eyes with a dark color. its adaptative. behavior is also adaptive. soon the body evolves parts that are in sync with adaptive behaviors.
                                          
                                          there are genes for behaviors too rafini, not just faces. its all hormonal and hormones are run by the part of your brain called the thalamus region where the pineal gland is. the same part that regulates skin and eye coloration.  so testosterone rich types will have square jaws, will be combative and will need to have sex more often.
                                          
                                          so back to depression. and reprogramming...you can reprogram genetically passed on depression. but with deliberate lifestyle choices.

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                                       Rafiniposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                                       Okay, Ceciliabeltran - how can I reprogram my eyes to blue?  I would much rather have blue eyes than green...

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                                    leebertteaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                                    http://www.time.com/time/health/article … 68,00.html
                                    
                                    This study does show how your genes can be altered by behaviour.

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                                       ceciliabeltranposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                                       thank you lee

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                                       mrpopoposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                                       That's very interesting stuff.
                                       
                                       Biologists offer this analogy as an explanation: if the genome is the hardware, then the epigenome is the software. "I can load Windows, if I want, on my Mac," says Joseph Ecker, a Salk Institute biologist and leading epigenetic scientist. "You're going to have the same chip in there, the same genome, but different software. And the outcome is a different cell type."
                                       
                                       Makes quite a bit of sense.

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                     LegendaryHeroposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     Genes are not habits. If you go and swim everyday at a pool, it does not mean that your son will have the habit of swimming everyday.

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                        ceciliabeltranposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                        ok I see...
                        
                        you haven't heard about the famous mice and maze study. about a decade ago. since then, they've also established that the brain is plastic during a person's lifetime and happy receptors recede when there is a long period of habitual depression. a condition you pass on to offspring, particularly during genomic imprinting. GENOMIC...genes IMPRINTING..writing.
                        
                        so you saying its wrong because of some anecdotal evidence sure beats actual observations done in a laboratory and peer reviewed and counter-checked by various fields of science.

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                           LegendaryHeroposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                           Link?
                           
                           
                           
                           The brain is plastic. The brain does not change your genes. Happy receptors? Are you talking about neurons?
                           
                           
                           
                           It is passed on to your offspring because of your genes. Your are genetically predisposed towards it.
                           
                           
                           
                           That wasn't anecdotal evidence. That was an example of what you were claiming. Show me the links to your so called evidence.

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                              ceciliabeltranposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                              the anecdotal example you gave me is in direct contradiction to studies.
                              
                              I am not going to give you a crash course on neuroscience and its relationship with hormones and genes. Look up EPIGENETICS.
                              
                              and also some relationships of behavior and genes here. http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/H … or.shtml#1
                              
                              you don't have to agree. just so you know i didn't pull that from under my left nostril.

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      watchyaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      'When I have a panic attack he knows that I mainly have a "bad feeling" and although Anxiety has been an Enemy, it has also been a friend by Taking certain Anxiety feelings as a "SIGN" and stay home instead of out and about, or saved myself from an attempted rape by Anxiety about a stranger at the Door and asking who it was through the door while locking it, as I often do when an unexpected knock happens. I just feel sick and naseous and my chest is heavy, my pulse increases and then I know, somethings going to happen, so pay attention. '
      
      I wouldn't knock at your door, not even if I was dying !

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         ceciliabeltranposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         when you feel anxious, try standing on your head, yoga way.

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            watchyaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            You tell that to Swaggerette.
            Maybe afterwards I would ring the bell. LOL

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               ceciliabeltranposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               i believe anything you say if that is your real body.

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   ceciliabeltranposted 14 years ago

   also while you're at it...look up the word ANECDOTAL

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   Rafiniposted 14 years ago

   OMG - I am not going to get into another debate, this time over whether or not mice chasing cheese proves my predisposition to depression because my ancestor supposedly made a habit of being depressed and 'evolved' the human species!
   
   How ludicrous!

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      ceciliabeltranposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      There is something called the methylation tree.
      
      there are many expressions of methylation that are passed on through the genes.
      
      the groupings are depression, suicide, diabetes, autism and some other condition.  so depression is one way the body to express toxicity. some have 60% capacity to function so any additional toxicities result in severe depression and even autism.
      
      so if your parent has anyone of the conditions related to it, one of you will be diabetic, one will have suicidal thoughts and one may have some form of autism.
      
      it does not always result in depression. the problem is the contamination of the myelin sheath.

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         Rafiniposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Please re-read my post - I'm not getting into another debate this week!!  lol
         
         
         My son has Aspergers with no trace of ASD it in my family or his fathers family.  Sorry, even proven theories can be wrong.

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            ceciliabeltranposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            but did you have other conditions? diabetes? asthma? sometimes two parents with heavy methylated systems produce offspring with autism. so, either you ate a lot of tuna while you were pregnant or feasted on it before that...the genes passed on that condition to your child.

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               ceciliabeltranposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               many children with autism recover from it with diet change.

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                  Rafiniposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  That claim is a load of crap!  I do not believe diet controls Autism at all.
                  
                  
                  I don't believe this crap, nope, none of it.  Not a bit. 
                  
                  Proven theories can be wrong - when another proven theory comes along to replace it.

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                     Rafiniposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     wow, I must've been having  a bad day!  sorry.
                     
                     
                     But I stand by what I say.  I don't believe it.

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   Audreveaposted 14 years ago

   Stephen Fry did a series about manic depression and in the end he wasn't sure he'd be willing to give up the manic highs in order to eliminate the lows.
   
   I thought that was interesting. I'd never really thought about the way we label people as mentally unwell from the outside.

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      ceciliabeltranposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      my sister is manic depressive, she likes the manic part. i told her...don't you see, it's all manic.

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      SwaggeretteMomposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      First of all, I am shocked to see all the uproar that my post caused, and 2nd, unless you have studied this subject you probably don't know as much as you think, Especially if you do not suffer from a mental illness or was raised by someone with one.
          Let me address the above "comments" for a second. Although it is obvious there are people that disagree with just about everything I said, and even poked fun at some issues, the fact still remains that the disorder exists in children, teen, adults and Seniors. We could argue all day about what causes it, and that is why my heart goes out to so many children who have parents that refuse to believe in such an issue. That is why I am devoting my time to research the subject while providing mental health care to clients as well.
          One person  said this..."whether or not mice chasing cheese proves my predisposition to depression because my ancestor supposedly made a habit of being depressed and 'evolved' the human species!" .......... "MADE A HABIT OUT OF BEING DEPRESSED?????!!!"
      This statement left me dumbfounded. How insensitive and close minded, as well as obviously uneducated about any kind of psychological studies and evidence found on the genetic link and therefore I will not bore you with terminology that you may not understand completely so to put it simply...   A person is most closely related to their siblings, their parents, and their children. In either case, you share with them approximately 50% of your genes (for which there is variance among the breeding population). Grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nephews, and nieces are next: the shared portion is approximately 25%. In these cases, the conditional probability of having a depression knowing that your relative had a depression is high.  Experts believe that depression is caused by a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors. Family History of depression is a risk factor and on the list of risk factors at any mental health website, so before you totally rule out the idea do the children of this world and maybe even your children or yourself a favor and do the research. 1 in 50 children  have depression, and 1-20 teens as well. Also, research done on TWINS whom were adopted at birth have shown that sets where one suffered from depression 70% of the twins had it as well... Here is a link for you..  and there are thousands more if this is not enough for you.
      
      depression.about.com/b/2007/02/04/depressions-genetic-link.htm

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   88woody88posted 14 years ago

   I can tell you that this Mom is definitely on to something, depression does start when you are young. Its not a sulk because you cant get your own way on something, thats normal, its a hurt, a rejection that scars and stays forever. It may be something trivial, that other kids would brush off, but if your child is sensitive, once the hurt hits the damage is done, I was an only child, so I was isolated from the start, pre school was a culture shock, so many other kids, making friends was difficult, they all seemed to have brothers and sisters, freaky me a one off, so  I started buying friendship, sweets, toys, books, games etc, my parents couldnt grasp why I felt that every time a kid came to my house they had to leave with something. They never realised I  was buying friends. A bad start because now the mould is set, I have now spent the rest of my  life trying to please other people, without ever pleasing myself, this had led to depression and despair. Do not do this to your kids. Its even more important today, because they talk to people on the internet, and they are just looking to make vulnerable kids their next target. A child can feel isolated and unloved for a miriad of reasons real or imagined it doent matter once the feeling sets in,  its real, and its forever. Watch for the signs, withdrawal, anger, tears and lashing out it all  means HELP ME,IM  HURTING HERE, HELP ME BEFORE ITS TOO LATE.

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      SwaggeretteMomposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Can I get an AMEN? I mean, Its really not hard to take that extra time to evaluate them when they are around you, and try and spend time with them to see if anything is standing out that was not there before.

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         Yeshuanposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Having only recently understood the symptoms that have plagued me.  Had I known 20-30 years ago what was going on, I could have avoided 2 divorces and becoming unemployable.  At the very least I could have managed my depression.  I am in that age group that depression in children wasn't taken seriously.  My symptoms were explained as shy or being a daydreamer.  Now-a-days we parents who understand have to talk in a very real way to our children about the symptoms and treatment of depression and other mood disorders.

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