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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by kid47 on May 29, 2003, at 15:29:13
but, I am curious. Anybody out there suffering from a mood disorder that would describe there upbringing/childhood as "happy" or "normal". Just doing my own non-scientific survey. It's not just idle curiousity. I am trying to figure out the nature/nurture aspect of my own insanity. Tia
kid
Posted by lostsailor on May 29, 2003, at 16:12:09
In reply to Not to be nosy....., posted by kid47 on May 29, 2003, at 15:29:13
Tia,
If I read you right , the answer is yes. While my childhood was not straight out of a Rockwell painting, it was darn close. Dad passed in 1988 and we were, aside for a few years during my teens, were very close. Compared to many, I guess even what I call "distant" was still very close.I had minor rules but was not allowed to do anything I wanted, either. The main thing was though, I think, EVERYTHING was always debateable. "Final answers" were usually a compromise. I thank both my parent for my beliefes and charecter.
At 33, my mom is still one of my best friends and I think Dad would be, too, if he were still here. Perhaps, I am a mess because we were "too functional"???
~tony
Posted by Greg A. on May 29, 2003, at 16:15:54
In reply to Not to be nosy....., posted by kid47 on May 29, 2003, at 15:29:13
Yes - happy and normal childhood
Greg A.
Posted by mair on May 29, 2003, at 18:02:47
In reply to Re: Not to be nosy..... » kid47, posted by Greg A. on May 29, 2003, at 16:15:54
>" Yes - happy and normal childhood"
...Me too which has always made my own difficulties harder to take - I can't point to many reasons why I am the way I am.Mair
PS: I should qualify this by saying that my therapist as a slightly different view of my childhood than I do. I think there were stressors there that she would say had a negative effect on me, but we're really not talking about anything dramatic enough, in my view, to explain the extent of my disorder.
Posted by paxvox on May 29, 2003, at 18:38:41
In reply to Not to be nosy....., posted by kid47 on May 29, 2003, at 15:29:13
Nature vs. nurture. Yes, certainly applicable. I had a "normal" life as a youth, at least I thought I did. I was happy for the most part, and thought that my family was pretty much like my friend's were. However, looking back at things now, I can clearly see how certain personality traits that I have were learned from my dad, or passed down genetically. OCD for example. My dad was (still is) very time-oriented, and impressed that upon me. To be 5 minutes early was to be on time, to be on time was to be late. I am STILL that way at 43! I think I am passing that on to my daughter as well. Now, was that nature or nurture? Hard to know for sure. Interestingly, I have known some folks from REALLY screwed up homes who act and appear very well adjusted now, so what's to explain that? I think that certain mental illnesses clearly run in families. I suspect that there is literature to support that thought. The question is, can one AVOID such conditions, even if predisposed, by avoiding the triggering mechanisms? For instance, can a child of an alcoholic who would probably also be an alcoholic if they began drinking, avoid that result by totally abstaining from alcohol before it becomes an issue? I would say "yes". So, can a child of an OCD parent avoid THAT trait by consciously avoiding THOSE characteristics? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm..........
PAX
Posted by wendy b. on May 29, 2003, at 23:48:32
In reply to Not to be nosy....., posted by kid47 on May 29, 2003, at 15:29:13
..my upbringing was plagued by the divorce of my parents when I was a year old, the loss of my biological father to alcohol (he basically ran away from his four children), a period of sexual abuse at the age of about 3 or 4 by a neighbor (teenage girl), and a certain amount of emotional abandonment by my mother and stepfather (sort of "kids raising the parents" syndrome). I've been depressed from a very early age, always knew something was "off" with me, was always sad.
brightening up your day?
Wendy
Posted by shar on May 30, 2003, at 19:39:24
In reply to Not to be nosy....., posted by kid47 on May 29, 2003, at 15:29:13
hahahahahahha....oh, wait, you were serious?
Sorry, I couldn't resist. I'm sure there are (and I know 2) people who have had a good childhood, and their mood disorders seem to be totally chemical. But...I bet you'll find that most of us were not of the average bear variety. We just all thought that the insanity that surrounded us, surrounded everybody.
So good to see your name!
xoxo
Shar> but, I am curious. Anybody out there suffering from a mood disorder that would describe there upbringing/childhood as "happy" or "normal". Just doing my own non-scientific survey. It's not just idle curiousity. I am trying to figure out the nature/nurture aspect of my own insanity. Tia
>
> kid
Posted by stjames on May 31, 2003, at 19:43:11
In reply to Not to be nosy....., posted by kid47 on May 29, 2003, at 15:29:13
> but, I am curious. Anybody out there suffering from a mood disorder that would describe there upbringing/childhood as "happy" or "normal".
Very happy.
Nurture can have everything to do with depression or nothing. Sometimes a little of both.
Posted by mashogr8 on June 2, 2003, at 15:33:36
In reply to Re: Not to be nosy....., posted by stjames on May 31, 2003, at 19:43:11
For some reason my original post did not appear....
Anyway, my upbringing was basically normal and uneventful except for a hospitalization for third degree burns to my chest from hot water (tea cup) when I was 2and1/2.
My family was at the lower end of the middle class for most of my childhood, one car, no dishwaher, no clothes dryer. I didn't get everything I wanted but people loved me and pushed me to succeed so that I would be able to give more to my children.
I have a good education and a good job. My husband is even further ahead. My children barely have any of my bad traits (They just "file by pile", too, to my husband's chagrine). We have a lovely home all the cars and things we need. But I still don't like me. Nor am I happy. Why souldn't I be....
MA
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