Question:
I think it has multiple causes. My mother has it, but our triggrers were very different. Chev wrote: > Is OCD hereditary ? … is it a learned thing or is one gentically prone to > the illness …
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Response:
Chev <cheva…@execulink.com> wrote in message
news:SV3V3.4509$cz3.139831@nnrp1.uunet.ca… > Is OCD hereditary ? … is it a learned thing or is one gentically prone to > the illness …
In my experience and from I have read, there is a genetic component and it appears, for some, to be a predisposition to experience anxiety more intensely than "normals". There is also a learned component. This could be because we never learned to calm ourselves as children because our caregivers didn’t know how to deal with anxiety themselves or, if we are genetically prone to experience anxiety more intensely, our caregivers would need to have special talents to help us learn to calm and sooth ourselves. The National Institute for Mental Health describes it this way: "…the search for causes now focuses on the interaction of neurobiological factors and environmental influences. It is believed that people who develop OCD have a biological predisposition to react strongly to stress, that this reaction takes the form of intrusive, distressing thoughts, and that these thoughts lead to more anxiety and stress, eventually creating a vicious circle the person cannot escape without help." Another view: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder—Cognitive-Behavioral Model "The cognitive-behavioral model supports the theory that a person was born with a genetic predisposition to experience anxiety. In simpler terms, the person inherited the anxiety trait from his or her parents. The model hypothesizes that a person grew up in an controlling home environment may have led him or her to set rigid standards for him or her self and caused him or her to be overly self-critical. Then that person began to associate anxiety that environment induced with a specific environmental event. The person developed a low tolerance for unacceptable thoughts or images. The same thoughts and images that a non-obsessive person would consider acceptable, a person with OCD would find unacceptable." In the same article is the following view of the behavioral model: "The cognitive-behavioral model is different than the behavioral model because it ( the behavioral model) believes OCD is solely the result of the person responding to their environment. This model states that when a person is rewarded for certain behaviors, he or she will be more likely to repeat them. The behavioral model may be more useful when explaining how compulsions are maintained. This model believes the person gets anxious when he or she needs/wants to perform a compulsion. This anxiety builds up until the person actually carries out the compulsive behavior which temporarily reduces the anxiety. This reduction in anxiety reinforces the behavior and makes it more likely to occur in the future. See more at http://www.health-center.com/english/brain/ocd/cog-behavmodel.htm In an article on anxiety consider the following excerpt from a magazine article which was taken from FINDING SERENITY IN THE AGE OF ANXIETY 0 1997 by Robert Gerzon. Robert Gerzon is a psychotherapist, writer and lecturer with a background in psychology, medicine and philosophy. " A large component of every case of anxiety is biological –most of which is caused by ordinary lifestyle habits — years of drinking too much coffee and caffeinated soft drinks, not eating properly, not exercising enough, not sleeping well, never experiencing relief from chronic muscular tension, and entertaining too many anxiety-producing thoughts throughout the day. Given this, does it really make sense to take a pill that enables you to continue the same anxiety-producing habits, or are you willing to change your lifestyle? Anxiety-producing experiences, especially in childhood, result in physical changes that predispose you to overreact to stress. According to Seymour Levine, Ph.D., of the University of Delaware, "this sensitization alters physical patterns in the brain. You may produce too many excitatory chemicals or too few calming ones; either way you are responding inappropriately." The following is taken from Rethinking the Brain: New Insights into Early Development by Families and Work Institute-What have we learned? Again the article stresses the interaction of genetics and environment. "1.Human development hinges on the interplay between nature and nurture. The impact of environmental factors on the young child’s brain development is dramatic and specific, not merely influencing the general direction of development, but actually affecting how the intricate circuitry of the human brain is "wired." How humans develop and learn depends critically and continually on the interplay between an individual’s genetic endowment and the nutrition, surroundings, care, stimulation, and teaching that are provided or withheld. 2.Early care has decisive and long-lasting effects on how people develop and learn, how they cope with stress, and how they regulate their own emotions. Warm and responsive early care helps babies thrive and plays a vital role in healthy development. A child’s capacity to control her own emotional state appears to hinge on biological systems shaped by her early experiences and attachments. A strong, secure attachment to a nurturing adult can have a protective biological function, helping a growing child withstand the ordinary stress of daily life." Fugen Nexiroglu, a leading ocd researcher, talks about "urges" the precede anxiety but doesn’t give us any idea what these "urges" are or where they come from. "The authors also posit that urges precede anxiety and that compulsions are performed in response to the anxiety. Also, obsessions are viewed as secondary to compulsions. The mechanism of how behavior and cognitive-behavioral therapy may produce neurochemical changes is discussed. Again, it may not be known whether the neurochemical changes are the cause or the effect of OCD, but it is evident that changes in neurochemistry affect behavior. It is suggested that OCD is a combination of biology and environment. An individual may be genetically predisposed to have OCD, and this may become clinically significant if the environment is stressful enough. Once OCD develops, it is perhaps maintained through negative reinforcement, as patients often state that engaging in rituals reduces anxiety or can be used to avoid the perceived anxiety." See more at http://www.cme-reviews.com/CNS798_Neziroglu.html Another view from Steven Levenkron’s book "Obsessive Compulsive Disorders-Treating and Understanding Crippling Habits" nurturant-authoritative psychotherapy he states; Intro "The individual who takes care of himself when there is no one else available is adapting to his situation. However, if he is never able to depend upon others, or receive comfort and support from them when they are available, then he is mistrustful, despairing of the value of others to be of help." Intro "While much has been written about obsessive-compulsive disorders, or OCD, as a neurological defect-where something is wrong with the brain-I see OCD as the personality’s attempt to reduce anxiety, which may stem from a painful childhood or a genetic tendency toward anxiety that just won’t quit." — Take care of your "self". whatatrip rbol…@premier1.net
Response:
Not a stupid question at all. We’ve actually had this conversation a few times before on this ng and there are two camps: the ones who believe it is genetic and the ones who believe it is learned. I believe it is genetic, since my sister also has it and I think a few cousins have a mild case of it. Ida Chev <cheva…@execulink.com> wrote in message
news:SV3V3.4509$cz3.139831@nnrp1.uunet.ca… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Is OCD hereditary ? … is it a learned thing or is one gentically prone to > the illness …
Response:
>Aeon wrote: >Is OCD hereditary?
Just a note: I did not write the above question, it was clipped from the post I replied to the question in. >The REAL answer (sorry to that college kid who answered), is that NO ONE >DEFINITELY knows the cause(s) of OCD!!! They do not know many of the >causes of cancer and yet they have been researcing that illness a lot >longer than OCD.
Absolutely that’s the answer… I was simply saying that I had read some things that point to it being genetic, and in my own experience, that would explain a lot of things. >My advice to you is to forget about this philisophical question and work >on getting better with Meds, BT/CBT, support groups, reading material >and good family support. >Who cares how yo got it, lets try to get rid of it!
Some of us would like to know. I for one, would like to wonder about it for awhile, because I have a daughter. It’s just something that I’m curious about.. orlan
Response:
Mo wrote:
I agree Joe, it would be best for me to concentrate on getting better, but I’m worry more about signs I think I’m seeing in my daughter … that’s why ’cause’ is important to me now … Monica Mo, "Cause" is still very unimportant if you are seeing signs of OCD or any illness in your daughter. If you think she is showing signs of OCD, you should have her examined by a competent OCD specialist where she will be given all the standard OCD tests (Yale/Brown OC test and others I have taken many times myself, but can not remember their names. Some are even in OCD books like Lee Baers, "Getting Control".). NO ONE knows the exact cause(s) of OCD at this moment in time. So, it is a mute point and will not help you, me or your daughter to obsess over it. Getting treatment and becoming more educated on the illness(symptoms, severity levels, related disorders like GAD, ADD and depression, the various meds used to treat OCD, how to deal with a family member with OCD, etc.) wilbe your biggest help. Let the researchers worry about the cause and use all the technology and info currently available TODAY, to help yourself and daughter. TL
Response:
Aeon wrote:
Is OCD hereditary? Oh Boy!!! I can tell you are new here. This question has been debated and fought over many times on this NG. "Duck and cover" now!!! The REAL answer (sorry to that college kid who answered), is that NO ONE DEFINITELY knows the cause(s) of OCD!!! They do not know many of the causes of cancer and yet they have been researcing that illness a lot longer than OCD. My advice to you is to forget about this philisophical question and work on getting better with Meds, BT/CBT, support groups, reading material and good family support. Who cares how yo got it, lets try to get rid of it! Gotta go before the fight starts!!! Tom L.
Response:
There are no stupid questions. :O) It’s my understanding, depending on which "specialist" you talk to that it’s either geneticallly linked or not. *LOL* That sure clears it up..right? Personally, I think it absolutely is. Mynx :O) On Sat, 6 Nov 1999 19:51:23 -0500, "Chev" <cheva…@execulink.com> wrote: – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Is OCD hereditary ? … is it a learned thing or is one gentically prone to >the illness …
Response:
>I was wondering because since I’ve been recently diagnosed with OCD, PTSD, >and Depression … I’ve been noticing various symptoms in my siblings … >most notably my twin … who is now dead but he had rituals different from >my own … and I loved him for what I thought was eccentricity … ya know >… travelled to the beat of his own drum … and now I clearly see some of >his quirks as OCD symptoms … so I just wondered about the question of >hereditary … even my young daughter is exhibiting ‘quirks’ similiar to >some I had as a child … even though she would have no way of knowing about >behavior I’ve lost since childhood … I mean she isn’t copying something >she’s seen me do … it’s weird …
I have not been diagnosed with OCD, but it’s pretty apparent that I either have it, or have tendencies like it. My sister has OCD, and it seems likely that our father has it. Depression also runs in my family, affecting my mother, her father, me, my sister, and likely our father. On top of that my sister is manic depressive, and I am bipolar. crazy. orlan
Response:
Hi, In my case, my OCD was VERY hereditary. Both my parents are afflicted, severely. Now that they are 82 & 72, it seems to have calmed down a little; perhaps because of their age, they are out of this world’s "rat race" so to speak and have settled into their retirement years. But my childhood was marked with a lot of time spent wondering why my parent’s did the strange things they did. BTW, this was not a stupid question. :) Take care, Mary
Response:
>Is OCD hereditary ? … is it a learned thing or is one gentically prone to >the illness …
From some of the things I’ve read (textbooks for college psych classes), and from talking to my own doctors, if one of your parents or someone in your family has OCD, you are more likely to have it. So with that said, yes, it would sound like it is hereditary. sucks eh? orlan
Response:
I agree Joe, it would be best for me to concentrate on getting better, but I’m worry more about signs I think I’m seeing in my daughter … that’s why ’cause’ is important to me now … Monica JMass11162 wrote in message
<19991106230035.01859.00001…@ng-cp1.aol.com>… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->x-no-archive: yes >>>Is OCD hereditary ? … is it a learned thing or is one gentically prone to >>>the illness … >My belief is that it in my case it is genetic,however this is a subject that >has gone through much debate on this newsgroup,with no one seeming to come up >with an answer,so I think it is just best to focus on getting better by what >ever means and not worry about the cause. > take care, > Joe
Response:
Is OCD hereditary ? … is it a learned thing or is one gentically prone to the illness …
Response:
I was wondering because since I’ve been recently diagnosed with OCD, PTSD, and Depression … I’ve been noticing various symptoms in my siblings … most notably my twin … who is now dead but he had rituals different from my own … and I loved him for what I thought was eccentricity … ya know … travelled to the beat of his own drum … and now I clearly see some of his quirks as OCD symptoms … so I just wondered about the question of hereditary … even my young daughter is exhibiting ‘quirks’ similiar to some I had as a child … even though she would have no way of knowing about behavior I’ve lost since childhood … I mean she isn’t copying something she’s seen me do … it’s weird … INaFog5716 wrote in message
<19991106195125.10147.00001…@ng-ca1.aol.com>… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Hi, >In my case, my OCD was VERY hereditary. Both my parents are afflicted, >severely. Now that they are 82 & 72, it seems to have calmed down a little; >perhaps because of their age, they are out of this world’s "rat race" so to >speak and have settled into their retirement years. But my childhood was >marked with a lot of time spent wondering why my parent’s did the strange >things they did. >BTW, this was not a stupid question. :) >Take care, >Mary
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