Tuesday, October 19, 2010
#2 Your Family Emotional History
The family jewels are often passed down through the generations. In routinely interviewing a new patient, after first determining the reasons for this office visit, the second most important assessment is the family history. Mental illness is often prewired in the individual's DNA. The risk of having a particular medical problem may increase with evidence of a preexisting illness in the family blood line.
In my career as a psychiatrist, I have conducted thousands of initial patient interviews in a variety of settings. Often the acknowledgment of a family history in the interview process is a challenging reality check. The emotional reactions to the inquiries of family histories are always widely assorted. They range from nervous laughter, to tears of pain, to no knowledge of their family legacy.
Some patients quickly deny any blood line connections. Decades of being in the psychiatry business gives me permission to closely assess quick denials of a family history. An abrupt denial is often followed with my inquiry about family members who are not diagnosed, but have similar problems as the patient. Careful prodding often allows the patient to open their sealed family closet door of mental illnesses. Behind the door of pain are forgotten memories of the distress of untreated illness.
An excerpt from my award-winning book, The Pregnancy Decision Handbook for Women with Depression, describes a common fictionalized memory. "Our house was a mess. My mom was a full-time housewife but it was a total chaos. There was clothes and garbage everywhere. My three siblings and I never bought any friends over. It was too embarrassing for anyone to see. My mom was just overwhelmed with raising us kids and chores. She cried constantly and promised daily to do better. It never happened."
The human brain is kind. It often tends to forget or change very painful memories. Some individuals delay intervention with their symptoms due to fears of repeating their family history. It is hard for them to believe that treatments and outcomes have changed over the years and now better treatment options are available.
So the message is that if you have symptoms of emotional illness and a family history of illness, get yourself assessed by a mental health professional for the sake of your child. Kids of all ages want their mothers present and emotionally available to them.
In my career as a psychiatrist, I have conducted thousands of initial patient interviews in a variety of settings. Often the acknowledgment of a family history in the interview process is a challenging reality check. The emotional reactions to the inquiries of family histories are always widely assorted. They range from nervous laughter, to tears of pain, to no knowledge of their family legacy.
Some patients quickly deny any blood line connections. Decades of being in the psychiatry business gives me permission to closely assess quick denials of a family history. An abrupt denial is often followed with my inquiry about family members who are not diagnosed, but have similar problems as the patient. Careful prodding often allows the patient to open their sealed family closet door of mental illnesses. Behind the door of pain are forgotten memories of the distress of untreated illness.
An excerpt from my award-winning book, The Pregnancy Decision Handbook for Women with Depression, describes a common fictionalized memory. "Our house was a mess. My mom was a full-time housewife but it was a total chaos. There was clothes and garbage everywhere. My three siblings and I never bought any friends over. It was too embarrassing for anyone to see. My mom was just overwhelmed with raising us kids and chores. She cried constantly and promised daily to do better. It never happened."
The human brain is kind. It often tends to forget or change very painful memories. Some individuals delay intervention with their symptoms due to fears of repeating their family history. It is hard for them to believe that treatments and outcomes have changed over the years and now better treatment options are available.
So the message is that if you have symptoms of emotional illness and a family history of illness, get yourself assessed by a mental health professional for the sake of your child. Kids of all ages want their mothers present and emotionally available to them.