Is OCD heretitary?
Yes it is. The obvious statistic is about 50% likely to inherit OCD traits.
Hi Diane,
I do not believe it is. There are many who do. What I have come to find from years of research is there are many things that lead us to thinking that something is hereditary. It could be similar eating habits in a family because we are from the same part of the country. It may be environmental toxins because we live in a mill town. I was told that Alzheimer's was hereditary after BOTH my parents were diagnosed with it. I started my research then and there because, to me, that was a death sentence for me and my kids.
Why did my Mom and Dad have it (obviously from 2 separate gene pools!) and not my Mom and her sisters? There was a news show, maybe a John Stossel, on Alzheimer's Disease and it took several sets of twins that had lived in different parts of the country. Only one of each of the sets had Alzheimer's. Why did nobody else in my Dad's family have it? Did you know that the Breast Cancer Fund has determined that less than 15%, closer to 10%, of Breast Cancer has nothing to do with heredity?
There are 100,000 new synthetic chemicals in our environment today that didn't exist when I was a child. There are preservatives and pesticides in everything but "all-natural" products and then some companies slide by with slipping something in here or there. So many things are imported and those governments don't care about us.
Before the turn of the century the south had numerous insane asylums for the schizophrenic. The north did not. The north ate more wheat. The south more corn. One doctor determined that the poor did not have enough wheat in their diets which contained niacin. Niacin supplements were given in massive doses all over the south and the insane asylums closed.
My daughter had ADHD and we detoxed the house completely. We use no synthetic chemicals in the cleaners, the bath and body products we use are natural, and so on and her diagnosis went away, COMPLETELY. I have a friend in Baltimore that did the same thing for her extremely severe Autistic son and he is symptom free except when exposed in large doses at his Dad's house. Both children are on better diets than before also. As I said, less chemicals in there food too. My sister's OCD is almost not even noticeable.
I do believe there are predispositions but we can hinder those with healthy immune systems. It is NOT that hard and it is NOT that expensive. It does take time and diligence in maintaining a healthy lifestyle but it is truly worth it.
I speak to groups about these things as does my sister. WE have found that most people just take the word of their doctors without any research on their own. Thus, their children are medicated.
If you would like to talk, I would be glad to. My Verizon cell is 678-850-8157 or email me back. This is much to important an issue to not dig deep!
Regards,
Mimi
yes it is. my ex has it and so does my son. i have read up on it because of having to deal with it - and studies show that if it is in the family it is very likely to be passed on to the children.
OCD can absolutely be hereditary, in that it "runs" in families, as do a number of other psychiatric issues such as depression and alcoholism. Autism can also have genetic roots, although there are probably MANY different forms with variable genetic influences. My husband, his brother, and his father all have OCD; his nephew has autism. My father has a form of OCD and my brother has Asperger's syndrome (although he is very high functioning). I think we will be lucky to get away with "just" OCD in my son.
ocd is part of an autisim thing! So yes it is inherited! sorta like epilepsy it is inherited through our geans! Look it up online about autisim foundation it should give you more information!or call a doctor that specializes in that field!
But yes ocd is also not only an inherited trate trhough autisim but it is also learned from parents and sibblings watching every move we make cause you know they learn from us! Learn our habbits and all! Its a physoclogical thing!
I know that parents with ADHD are more likely to have kids with ADHD, but when I researched OCD this statements kept coming up:
"No specific genes for OCD have yet been identified, but research suggests that genes do play a role in the development of the disorder in some cases. Childhood-onset OCD tends to run in families (sometimes in association with tic disorders).When a parent has OCD, there is a slightly increased risk that a child will develop OCD, although the risk is still low. When OCD runs in families, it is the general nature of OCD that seems to be inherited, not specific symptoms. Thus a child may have checking rituals, while his mother washes compulsively."
http://www.psychguides.com/oche.php
http://www.sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca/health/ocd/cause.html
hope that helps!
Kelly
Hi there...yes, OCD is hereditary. My co-worker has a son who was recently diagnosed and he was told by the doctor that it runs in the family. Apparently, both my co-worker and his wife have some ocd characteristics, but they're not as debilitating as their son...he's afraid of germs. Just a little background...both parents are over achievers and so is their son...an exceptionally bright child and involved in many after school activities. He is in therapy and taking prozac. He is also in the 8th grade and this just happened within the last 6 months.
However, in addition to genetics, a doctor recently told my sister-in-law that forcably training a child can lead to ocd...ie, potty training at too young of an age.
No, not in so many words... hereditary. However, we mimic what we see and are around as a child. So, if they are watching you unplug everything (like I do) all the time then chances are much higher that your child will do the same. I have 1 (son) with Autism and OCD tendencies, so I have been VERY careful what I do in front of him after being made aware of his tendencies when he was 2 years old.
OOPS! I just realized that this was 1 year ago in Jan so if you have already had your question answered let it just be FYI. LOL Feel free to contact me if I can be of any more help to you!