genetic?

i wonder how many people here have family members with depression as well. My father, his mother, her sister and a younger cousin of mine all have been diagnosed with depression. my grandmother was put in an institution because in those years they didnt know what to do with mental illness. she also had electric shock treatments. my dad suffered badly from the age of late 70's. He wound up getting parkinsons and died at age 88. i am 61 and have been hospitalized for attempted suicide twice. i rely on medication and talk therapy and just discovered mindfulness meditation. My cousin also attempted suicide but is now taking medication to get moods stablized. I realize now this is something i will have to deal with my whole life

[blackcat64013]

Statistically 1 in 5 people in the population will suffer from mental illness at any one time so if you have a number of family members you are more likely to have a sufferer among them.

Genetics are a risk factor for mental illness among first degree relatives (I hate the term but really it means the next generation on from the person you are talking about).

We have to be grateful for the increased awareness of mental illnesses in the general community, modern treatment options and the supports available. This forum is one of them.

[photobeats]

yes. my cousin hanna died by suicide two years ago and my grandpa (who also died by suicide when I was only 4). I was always told growing up that he died from cirrhosis of the liver but upon looking for my original birth certificate a few ago, I discovered his true cause of death. Mom hid it from me all of these years. From my family's perspective mental health and suicide is just NOT something we talk about. I am trying to change that and speak out and talk about it. Hopefully with this new insight, I will go on to discover more about my family's tree of mental illness.