Information On Anxiety Disorder and Panic Attacks - Are They Genetic

Information On Anxiety Disorder and Panic Attacks - Are They Genetic

I'm often asked by clients whether or not there's a genetic of

hereditary component to anxiety disorder and panic attacks. That

line of questioning usually leads into a discussion about how

that person's extended family seems to have an abundance of

people with anxiety problems of one sort or another.

Without wanting to sound like a lawyer (Attorney), I have to say

that the answer is yes. And no.

Sorry, but the data are not in on a firm answer one way or

another. Just because you and a couple of your cousins have

episodes of out-of-the-blue panic, or just because you have high

levels of anxiety, doesn't mean that you've inherited those

responses.

Many of the people who come to me with anxiety problems have

extended families filled with exciting, excitable, interesting

and vivacious people with all sorts of anxiety problems. Then

again, just as many clients who have worrying levels of fear of

public speaking or more general anxiety, come from families who

look like they invented the term 'calm' then added 'cool' and

'collected' to it.

In other words, my own empirical data don't support the idea of

a strong genetic pre-disposition either way. As someone who is

scrupulous about research methods, I'm most certainly not

suggesting that my random observations constitute proper research

methods. I'm always cross when I come across someone making

pronouncements based on their unmonitored observations with no

control groups. What I am saying is that for more than twenty

years, my clients have been fairly evenly spread across the

spectrum of people who come from families where everyone is

anxious to those families where they're alone in their anxious

response to life.

The Anxiety Gene

As many of you know, either through your own experience, or as

the friend of someone who experiences them, panic attacks occur

at random and usually out-of-the-blue. Of course if a person

experiences great panic in a particular setting, a cinema (movie

theater) or in an elevator, then there may well be some

predictability about the way s/he'll respond next time they're

in an elevator or they're invited to the movies.

Either way, whether unexpected or anticipated, panic episodes can

really destroy a person's confidence about moving freely in the

world. Early this century, scientists at the Centre for Medical

and Molecular Biology in Barcelona discovered a genetic basis for

most panic attacks. According to an article in irishhealth.com

"Scientists found that a small region on chromosome 15 was

duplicated in 90% of affected family members. The duplicated

region, known as DUP25, contains more than 60 genes, of which

only 23 have so far been identified.

According to the scientists, DUP25 appears to increase the risk

of anxiety disorders. They are now trying to identify exactly

which genes are responsible. This could lead to the development

of drugs that suppress those genes, however this may take a

number of years.

Besides, I'm not at all sure that drugs which suppress genes are

necessarily the best route to take. By all means, I understand

how upsetting and sometimes devastating panic attacks and anxiety

disorder can be. But there are many highly successful strategies

you can use if anxiety and panic attacks are part of what makes

you the wonderful person you are. It's a bit like the world in

the film Gattaca isn't it? Trying to create so-called perfect

human beings via genetic engineering.

If you want to read more, the New Scientist website is a great

place to start. Alternatively, I thoroughly recommend that you

read articles published by "The Anxiety Disorders Association of

America" (ADAA)- you'll find them easily in any search engine.

Dr Reid Wilson's website anxieties.com is another wonderful

source of information and advice about how to tell if your

symptoms are anxiety and how to conquer those inappropriate

emotional reactions.

For now, may I suggest that whether you have a strong genetic

disposition to anxiety or not, the main name of the game is this.

You can conquer anxiety so that it becomes a natural motivating

factor in your life, not a black leaden mass which smothers your

joy. As you'll read in other articles and books, your attitude to your

anxiety is the key to the extent to which it has an impact on how

you live your life. Indeed, my counseling Practice and my e-book

Calming Words focus on finding solutions to your anxiety and

panic attacks rather than on trying to work out why you have

them.

When Panic Attacks: The New, Drug-Free Anxiety Therapy That Can Change Your Life

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