family and anxiety?

[Until.Infinity]

I was just wondering if it is possible for a whole family to have some sort of anxiety? I don't know if I am making sense, but lately things have been weird with my family. I'm guessing its the atmosphere in which we are living for us.

here is what has recently happened to my family members.

Dad - felt like he was having a heart attack while at work, went to doc's got an EKG and everything was okay. (can I say panic attack)

Mom - thought she had breast cancer because she had chest pain, and felt that she had difficulties breathing, got a test done for breast
          cancer and the results were negative, doc said nothing was wrong. (can I say anxiety symptoms)

Brother - just today while my folks went on a road trip without me, my mother gave me a call about my brother having some trouble 
              breathing/hyperventilating and the his left side of the chest was in massive pain. I gave her advice that was passed on to
              him and Im guessing he got better. (can I say panic attack once more)

The one problem is that when I try telling my parents about anxiety, they don't take it serious. They actually think there is something wrong with them. That is why Im trying to keep it lowkey with them. Kind of confusing, but yeah.

[abeja_reina_1989]

Not confusing at all!! I relate sooo soo much to what you're saying and I am very proud of you for realizing the symptoms. My parents and many of my siblings have anxiety/depression symptoms, but none of them, other than my lil sis and I realized what it was. My mother and father just don't take it seriously and it's hard, because I want to talk to them about it.. I want to tell them that they can get help like i did and live happier lives. Honestly though, people won't get help until they're ready. Look at me.. it took me 20 YEARS to finally realize I HAD to make a change. Good for you for standing out of the crowd and taking a stand.. you will do well in the changing process. I see you doing great things 

[Until.Infinity]

thank you for your post abeja : ]

[shrublet]

Hey Until,

Many theories state that anxiety certainly does have a hereditary component. Others state that it is a purely "nurture" scenario, and I believe that the majority say that it is a combination of both to varying degrees. I agree with Abeja that people will not get help until they are ready, so I hope you'll continue to be patient and supportive with your family. My mom is bipolar and also a bit of a hypochondriac (though she absolutely denies it) and it can be very difficult and frustrating to have your parents deal with this, especially when they say otherwise. But the best thing you can do is to be there for them.

[sixpack]

I believe there are a variety of causes of anxiety.  I truly believe there is a very large component being genetic.  On my mom's side there is anxiety disorders back through my Grandmother's brother.  He was a hypochondriac.  My mom's mom definitely had some issues as well.  My mom, well, yep.  My youngest sister does and so do I.  I also think there is a large correlation of environment/nurture.  My mother had an awful upbringing. Other than my father dying at 46 (I was 15), I had a darn good childhood.  My mom is much, much more affected with anxiety issues than I am.  I also believe there are just miswirings in the brain, not necessarily genetic but congenital. Then you have the folks who have chemical imbalance issues, perhaps not as simple as being a chemical imbalance that's why some meds aren't helpful for one but are for others.  I believe, too, some folks just have a 'personality' tendency toward it. I also think that you can have any combo of all of the above reasons that cause anxiety.  If a person has anxiety due to a purely environmental reason, then managing anxiety will be very different than managing a person who's brain make-up is the soul reason.  That's why I think anxiety, like cancer, will be hard to really find the 'cure' to.  We just don't have all of the answers.  We may not for a very long time.

I also think that anxiety is worse nowadays (not to say it wasn't prevalent 50yrs ago) because we have so much information at our fingertips.  Everybody today has more health anxiety.  Everytime you turn on the tv or read a magazine, you are being bombarded by some medication or some news report about the ravages of breast cancer or heart diesease.  If we weren't told practically every minute of everyday to watch out for this pain or that, we wouldn't be so darned concerned about small aches and pains being caused by a heart attack.  Should we know the signs, of course. But when hearing that chest pain is a sign of heart attack,  it should be followed by a decripition of how intense and how long does it lasts etc.  We don't get that level of information so we end up thinking that heartburn is actually a heart attack.   Today, too, we are always in a hurry.  We lead high stress lives, pure and simple.  Hardly a minute goes by that we aren't going and doing; pushing for that better job, taking care of kids; paying for mounting bills.  The list can go on and on.

And like shrub and abeja say, it is up to the individual to deal with his/her own issues.  He/She needs to recognize it in themeslves.   

[Until.Infinity]

I believe there are a variety of causes of anxiety.  I truly believe there is a very large component being genetic.  On my mom's side there is anxiety disorders back through my Grandmother's brother.  He was a hypochondriac.  My mom's mom definitely had some issues as well.  My mom, well, yep.  My youngest sister does and so do I.  I also think there is a large correlation of environment/nurture.  My mother had an awful upbringing. Other than my father dying at 46 (I was 15), I had a darn good childhood.  My mom is much, much more affected with anxiety issues than I am.  I also believe there are just miswirings in the brain, not necessarily genetic but congenital. Then you have the folks who have chemical imbalance issues, perhaps not as simple as being a chemical imbalance that's why some meds aren't helpful for one but are for others.  I believe, too, some folks just have a 'personality' tendency toward it. I also think that you can have any combo of all of the above reasons that cause anxiety.  If a person has anxiety due to a purely environmental reason, then managing anxiety will be very different than managing a person who's brain make-up is the soul reason.  That's why I think anxiety, like cancer, will be hard to really find the 'cure' to.  We just don't have all of the answers.  We may not for a very long time.

I also think that anxiety is worse nowadays (not to say it wasn't prevalent 50yrs ago) because we have so much information at our fingertips.  Everybody today has more health anxiety.  Everytime you turn on the tv or read a magazine, you are being bombarded by some medication or some news report about the ravages of breast cancer or heart diesease.  If we weren't told practically every minute of everyday to watch out for this pain or that, we wouldn't be so darned concerned about small aches and pains being caused by a heart attack.  Should we know the signs, of course. But when hearing that chest pain is a sign of heart attack,  it should be followed by a decripition of how intense and how long does it lasts etc.  We don't get that level of information so we end up thinking that heartburn is actually a heart attack.   Today, too, we are always in a hurry.  We lead high stress lives, pure and simple.  Hardly a minute goes by that we aren't going and doing; pushing for that better job, taking care of kids; paying for mounting bills.  The list can go on and on.

And like shrub and abeja say, it is up to the individual to deal with his/her own issues.  He/She needs to recognize it in themeslves.   

Six Pack, I totally agree with what you said about the T.V. & Magazine part in your response