Hi, how\u2019s it going? Hope you are doing well.<\/p>\n
I was talking to a friend of mine the other day. He was complaining in a sort of jokingly way about a \u201cgenerational curse\u201d his family had. Apparently all of the men in his family had curly hair. But the women all had straight hair.<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t make sense to anyone in his family. None of the men liked their curly hair. Yet all of the women wanted curly hair. It was completely one of those \u201cthe grass is always greener\u201d situations. But this friend of mine wasn\u2019t making a big deal out of it \u2013 he was just laughing about the whole situation.<\/p>\n
It made me think. A generational curse? Well, I know of something else that could be considered a generational curse: Bipolar disorder. I\u2019ve heard some people call it that. I\u2019m not sure it\u2019s the best description of it, but that\u2019s the way some people choose to look at it.<\/p>\n
The reason some think this is because there is a genetic connection with bipolar disorder. People who have immediate relatives who have the disorder are more likely to develop it themselves. But that doesn\u2019t make it a guarantee.<\/p>\n
Science calls this a genetic predisposition. What that means is that the person is more susceptible to developing bipolar disorder, should their environment and their brain chemistry mix in the right way. But it depends on a lot of other factors, as well. Even identical twins aren\u2019t guaranteed to both have the disorder if one does. So there\u2019s no guarantee that if your mom or dad has it that you will, also.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve actually heard some people freak out about this. They are afraid that just because their mother\/father\/brother\/sister\/aunt\/etc has bipolar disorder that they are doomed to get it themselves.<\/p>\n
What they don\u2019t realize is that instead of freaking out about it and stressing themselves out, they could instead be taking measures to prevent it. Yes, you heard me right. Prevent it. Even someone without bipolar disorder can benefit from stress management, mood management, and anger management techniques.<\/p>\n
And you never know for sure if you really are genetically predispositioned to bipolar disorder. If you are, it might just help you to avoid the onset of bipolar disorder, or at the very least, to minimize the intensity of the disorder.<\/p>\n
If your loved one has bipolar disorder, and you feel that you are at risk for developing the disorder, then take some practical steps in your own life. Look at the techniques you are helping your loved one to learn, and then bother to learn them yourself. This will help you, and it will also help them; after all, people learn better by example.<\/p>\n
Of course, if you feel you already have developed bipolar disorder, or you are not sure, then you should see a professional to determine your diagnosis. You may have bipolar disorder, another disorder, or just high stress levels.<\/p>\n
But don\u2019t bother worrying about genetic predispositions \u2013 instead, act to prevent them.<\/p>\n
What are your thoughts on this?<\/p>\n
Well, I have to go!<\/p>\n
Your Friend,<\/p>\n
Dave<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hi, how\u2019s it going? Hope you are doing well.<\/p>\n
I was talking to a friend of mine the other day. He was complaining in a sort of jokingly way about a \u201cgenerational curse\u201d his family had. Apparently all of the men in his family had curly hair. But the women all had straight hair.<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t make sense to anyone in his family. None of the men liked their curly hair.<\/p>\n