I remember way back when I was pregnant for the first time, someone told me that my mental state during pregnancy would be responsible for what kind of baby I gave birth to.
If you really think about that, it surely is a huge responsibility for a mother-to-be. Is there any truth in that or is it just an old wives tale? If a high-strung kind of woman worries over every little thing during her pregnancy, will her baby inherit that same tendency?
If a child is raised in a household where the adults are laid back and roll with the punches of life, will that child grow up with the strength to not let the challenges of life get them down?
Although doctors and researchers have come a long way in the study of mental illness, they still have not pinpointed the true cause of anxiety disorders or other disorders such as depression. They believe that some people are more inclined to develop depression and anxiety if there is a family history of substance abuse and/or other mental illnesses.
As any parent of multiple children knows, no two children are exactly alike. Part of this is because no parent treats each child the same. Another reason is because even if they are the same sex, they are each unique individuals. You may be raised in the same household, but you each have separate personalities.
Children may learn from what they live but they do not always grow up to be just like how their parents taught them to be.
In a family where denial of anything uncomfortable existed, not every child in the family always goes along with not facing the truth or questioning why.
Maybe if a child is too pampered and is not taught how to cope with the disappointments in life they will be more fragile as an adult. On the other hand, maybe they long to have the opportunity to make their own choices.
As a parent of a child with anxiety disorders, I often wonder how much my own genes had to do with my child's diagnosis. I re-examine my parenting and wonder what did I do that could have caused this. I recognize the uniqueness of all my same sex children. I may have four daughters but each is uniquely different.
The scary part is when I see my own insecurities in them. I can relate to each of them and can remember back when I felt the same way. Is it genetic that they and I share these simularities or is it just "normal" for milestones in life?
They didn't always react to situations the same way I did or each other. That kind of defeats the theory that they live what they learned.
Everyone is different. Every situation that arises in life may be similar to someone elses' but the difference is that it is happening to you, not someone else. We may be able to be inspired by how someone else copes with a similar situation but ultimately, it's your reality.
I still believe that we each own the power to decide how we will cope with our own reality. Where we get this strength from doesn't really matter. As long as you can find it and use it.
Anxiety, depression and even bipolar doesn't have to determine what kind of life you live. You have the power!
No matter how, why or what you have to overcome, it is ultimately in your hands to decide if you are going to let anxiety (or any other mental illness) choose what path in life you take. You can let it run your life and allow you to crumble underneath it or you can find the strength to fight it and adjust your life so you can live the life that you were meant to.
If you really think about that, it surely is a huge responsibility for a mother-to-be. Is there any truth in that or is it just an old wives tale? If a high-strung kind of woman worries over every little thing during her pregnancy, will her baby inherit that same tendency?
If a child is raised in a household where the adults are laid back and roll with the punches of life, will that child grow up with the strength to not let the challenges of life get them down?
Although doctors and researchers have come a long way in the study of mental illness, they still have not pinpointed the true cause of anxiety disorders or other disorders such as depression. They believe that some people are more inclined to develop depression and anxiety if there is a family history of substance abuse and/or other mental illnesses.
As any parent of multiple children knows, no two children are exactly alike. Part of this is because no parent treats each child the same. Another reason is because even if they are the same sex, they are each unique individuals. You may be raised in the same household, but you each have separate personalities.
Children may learn from what they live but they do not always grow up to be just like how their parents taught them to be.
In a family where denial of anything uncomfortable existed, not every child in the family always goes along with not facing the truth or questioning why.
Maybe if a child is too pampered and is not taught how to cope with the disappointments in life they will be more fragile as an adult. On the other hand, maybe they long to have the opportunity to make their own choices.
As a parent of a child with anxiety disorders, I often wonder how much my own genes had to do with my child's diagnosis. I re-examine my parenting and wonder what did I do that could have caused this. I recognize the uniqueness of all my same sex children. I may have four daughters but each is uniquely different.
The scary part is when I see my own insecurities in them. I can relate to each of them and can remember back when I felt the same way. Is it genetic that they and I share these simularities or is it just "normal" for milestones in life?
They didn't always react to situations the same way I did or each other. That kind of defeats the theory that they live what they learned.
Everyone is different. Every situation that arises in life may be similar to someone elses' but the difference is that it is happening to you, not someone else. We may be able to be inspired by how someone else copes with a similar situation but ultimately, it's your reality.
I still believe that we each own the power to decide how we will cope with our own reality. Where we get this strength from doesn't really matter. As long as you can find it and use it.
Anxiety, depression and even bipolar doesn't have to determine what kind of life you live. You have the power!
No matter how, why or what you have to overcome, it is ultimately in your hands to decide if you are going to let anxiety (or any other mental illness) choose what path in life you take. You can let it run your life and allow you to crumble underneath it or you can find the strength to fight it and adjust your life so you can live the life that you were meant to.
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