Genetics and family history are risk factors of Anxiety Disorders. However, this does not mean everyone with a family history of Anxiety will develop an Anxiety Disorder. Conversely, those without a family history of Anxiety can suffer from Anxiety Disorders.
There are many misconceptions about how genetics can adversely influence Mental Health. Understanding the truth behind genetics as a risk factor and how your family’s Mental Health history influences your own makes it easier to seek professional intervention and qualified treatment from a skilled, Licensed Clinical Psychologist when necessary. Genetics predispositions, family history, and other risk factors for Anxiety can contribute to Anxiety Disorders.
What Is a Genetic Predisposition?
Genes play a significant role in many Mental Health Disorders. Your genetics can influence factors such as hormone production and the development of neural pathways, which in turn inform your Mental Health experiences. As a result, someone with a family history of Anxiety Disorders is more likely to develop an Anxiety Disorder than someone without the same genetic predisposition or family history.
That said, genetic predisposition does not guarantee you will develop an Anxiety Disorder—or any Mental Health Condition—during your lifetime. Like any other risk factor, it simply increases the likelihood of developing Anxiety. Understanding the nuances of genetics helps a well-versed Licensed Clinical Psychologist to accurately identify symptoms in your life so that they can make an informed decision in developing a tailored treatment protocol and a solid game plan to address the underlying causes of your Anxiety Disorders or comorbid conditions, such as childhood traumas, lack of secure attachment, Addiction Disorders, Personality Disorders, or other Mood Disorders.
Families Can Develop Different Kinds of Anxiety Disorders
There are many different types of Anxiety Disorders, including General Anxiety, Social Anxiety Disorder, Agoraphobia, Panic Disorder, Separation Anxiety Disorder, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. If Anxiety runs in your family, that does not necessarily mean that every relative who develops an Anxiety Disorder will have the same experiences. For example, a parent might have Agoraphobia, but their child might develop General Anxiety Disorder, instead.
Anxiety Disorders, like any Mental Health Condition, are intertwined with your specific life experiences. The factors that trigger anxiety and cause you distress worsen over time and become more complex to treat as you get older, particularly when you go through different chapters of life development.
The same thing happens with Anxiety Disorder symptoms. Anxiety Disorders affect everyone differently, so each individual case revolves around unique experiences, marital dynamics, career path, intimate relationships at work and at home, personality variables, including coping mechanisms, treatment compliance, therapeutic rapport, therapeutic alliance, value systems, individual goals, and emotional bandwidth, for each individual.
Genetics and Comorbid Disorders
Genetics also contribute to Anxiety Disorders through the development of comorbid disorders. There are many other Mental Health Conditions that can contribute to Anxiety Disorders, including:
- Depressive Disorders
- Bipolar Disorders
- Addiction Disorders
- Attachment Issues
- Eating Disorders
- Personality Disorders
- Traumas
- Childhood Attachment Styles
Feelings of anxiety, worry, and dread are common symptoms of these Mental Health Disorders. Moreover, Anxiety Disorders share many other symptoms—such as insomnia, emotional instability, inability to regulate emotions, lack of mindfulness, Personality Disorders, Reactive Attachment Disorder, poor Stress Management, negative thought patterns, and maladaptive associations—with these disorders.
Developing one of these Mental Health Conditions increases your likelihood of also developing an Anxiety Disorder. Thus, a family history of Depressive Disorders, Bipolar Disorders, Substance Abuse Disorders, lack of Secure Attachment, Traumas, or other Mental Health Disorders can increase your chances of developing Anxiety Disorders. This is true even if Anxiety Disorders themselves do not run in your family.
Genetics Do Not Work Alone
While genetics are a common cause of Anxiety Disorders, they are not the only factor at play. Environmental factors also have a significant influence over the development of Mental Health Disorders. These factors can include life experiences such as traumas or other health factors, including, but not limited to chronic medical conditions or physical ailments.
Environmental factors impact your thought patterns, associations, value systems, daily habits, lifestyle choices, and the way you process and handle overwhelming or difficult emotions. As such, even someone who has no family history of Mental Health Conditions can develop an Anxiety Disorder or a comorbid Mental Health Disorder.
Genetic and Environmental Factors Go Hand in Hand
Separating genetic predisposition from environmental risk factors can be difficult. If you have a close relative who has an Anxiety Disorder, you can learn behaviors from them that contribute to the development of an Anxiety Disorder in your own life. In cases like these, it is hard to determine whether the disorder stems from genetics, environmental factors, medical conditions, Personality Disorders, Comorbid Mental Health Disorders, Addiction Issues, or all of the above.
This is particularly true for patients who develop Anxiety Disorders at an early age. Family history and environmental factors can both influence attachment styles or patterns of relating to others. For example, a parent with an Anxiety Disorder might not be able to provide an emotionally stable relationship with their infant child. This inability to regulate their affect and provide a secure base for the child can lead to an insecure attachment style that negatively influence all adult relationships throughout the person’s adult life, increasing their chances of developing an Anxiety Disorder.
The same is true for comorbid Mental Health Disorders. If a family member has Addiction Disorders, Depressive Disorders, Personality Disorders, or another Mental Health Condition, it can lead to neglect, abuse, or other adverse childhood experiences. These experiences then influence the development of Anxiety Disorders or comorbid Mental Health Disorders.
Other Risk Factors
Genetics and environmental factors do not cover all the risk factors of Anxiety Disorders. There are many other experiences and issues that can influence the development of Anxiety or its comorbid Mental Health Disorders. Other risk factors include traumatic experiences, chronic physical health issues, periods of extreme stress, and major life changes such as marriage, divorce, moving, changing careers, or starting a new family.
Being aware of different risk factors—and knowing that there might be more than one risk factor at play—helps a Licensed Clinical Psychologist to identify Anxiety Disorders and their severity of acuity in your life. This knowledge makes it easier to develop a relevant and tailored intervention to meet your clinical needs.
Personalized Treatment Is Key
Whether your anxiety stems from genetics or other factors, your experience with it is unique. That means you need professional treatment that addresses your specific circumstances. A skilled Licensed Clinical Psychologist can create a personalized treatment plan designed to address your unique symptoms and personal experiences, including current life circumstances and future trajectory. This individualized approach to treatment uses evidence-based therapies and scientific models to address your anxiety at its source, treating the cause rather than the symptoms of your Mental Health Disorders to eradicate the root cause, instead of the band aid approach. Personalized, expert treatment is the key to overcoming Anxiety Disorders and creating lasting, positive change in your life.
If you are looking for an Anxiety Psychologist in Los Angeles, Irvine, Beverly Hills, Newport Beach, Bel Air, Century City, Brentwood, Westwood, Huntington Beach, Mission Viejo, Aliso Viejo, and the surrounding areas, contact Blair Wellness Group to see how our evidence-based treatment plans from a Licensed Clinical Psychologist can help you.
