Does Anxiety Seem to Run in Your Family?

Ignoring anxiety will not make it go away. If anxiety is affecting you or a family member, it’s okay to ask for help. It can be difficult to watch someone you care about struggle with symptoms of anxiety. Anxiety can also be hereditary, leading many to say that it “runs in their family”. Whether this is due to nature or nurture, therapy and medication management can be effective in treating anxiety.

Nature vs Nurture

If you were raised in a family where you saw members experiencing anxiety, you may be more prone to anxiety yourself. While there is a genetic component to anxiety, this doesn’t have to be a negative thing.

If anxiety “runs in the family”, you could be genetically predisposed to anxiety. That predisposition can be expressed, suppressed or modified, depending on the environment. Being raised by someone with anxiety may make you more prone to developing anxiety. According to Assistant Professor Amy Przeworski, PhD, of the Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, “Individuals inherit a predisposition to being an anxious person, [and] about 30 to 40 percent of the variability is related to genetic factors.”

Anxiety can also be learned. If you grow up seeing those close to you react with anxiety to certain triggers, you may be more likely to do so yourself. The opposite may also be true. Those that experience anxiety and receive treatment may be more likely to spot symptoms and seek out early intervention. This can lead to greater understanding and greater access to healthier coping skills.

The Evolution of Anxiety in the Family

Even when parents are not genetically predisposed, anxiety may still affect the family. Considering how stressful modern life and parenting is, anxiety may also enter your home through daily life stressors.

For instance, if one parent comes home stressed, they may take out their frustration on the other parent, who may also release their anxiety on the children. If there is a genetic predisposition, risk of developing anxiety will increase in this type of environment. While it can potentially disturb everyone, anxiety may fall more on children.

Children are often more susceptible because they don’t have the same communication or coping skills adults do. Acting out, they may be thought of as “the problem.” It is possible that they are just absorbing, like a sponge, the familial anxiety.

Being the Change

If your family is genetically predisposed to anxiety, you and your family members may be more likely to develop anxiety. The atmosphere can also play a large role in the development of anxiety symptoms. While these factors can contribute to anxiety there are things you can do to treat anxiety and decrease the impact it has on you.

You can break the cycle of anxiety in your family, counseling can treat symptoms and lead to remission. Psychiatric medication management can also be extremely effective in treating anxiety. Carolina Counseling Services in Durham, NC contracts with licensed therapists and psychiatric professionals who care. Call CCS today to get started.

Jaime Johnson Fitzpatrick LCMHCS, LCAS is one of the Owners and Vice Presidents of Carolina Counseling Services. She is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist in the State of North Carolina as well as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in State of New York. Jaime is also certified in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and utilizes various other approaches in her practice.