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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Is mental health a genetic problem that can not be always solved?

    Related Topics
    Depression Mental Health Sexual Health
    If mental health has been in my family (when I grew up with my dear mum who ended up in so many mental ward hospital), was I bound to end up with medication now?

    Always and forever with my mental health now. as my dear father was a full time carer to my mum and now that has died a long while ago.

    I am lost on my own. Especially trust is a issue often in my mental health status. Now that I am gay it feels sometimes like my whole life will be mental. thanks.
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  • Dr Simon Easterbrook-Smith

    Health Professional

    My research interests include immunology and the mechanisms of amyloid formation. The latter has implications for people who are dealing with Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease … View Profile

    Genetic factors *may* pre-dispose people to develop some mental illnesses.

    However that does *not* mean that they can not be successfully treated. Very often this involves a combination of meds (prescribed by a GP or psychiatrist) and non-pharmacological therapy, from a clinical psychologist.

    You might find it helpful to use that “Find Health Professionals” function on this site to search for people who will be able to help you.

    You wrote that you are gay. Being gay (or anywhere else on the sexual orientation spectrum for that matter) is emphatically NOT a mental illness.

    All the best.

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  • Dr Clive Jones

    Counselling Psychologist, Counsellor, Psychologist, Psychotherapist, Sport Psychologist

    Dr Clive Jones is a registered psychologist specialising in the assessment and treatment of mental health issues and disorders and High Performance Sport psychology. He … View Profile

    The question of genetic influence on mental health has often been termed as the nature/nurture or gene/environment debate. How much is genetic and how much is environment. This is actually an old debate because the knowedge being taught now is that everything we feel is a combination of our biology, psychology and social environment. The term to describe this is biopsychosocial.

    Each of these three components are reciprocal in their influence. This means our biology (e.g. our brain, genes etc) can influence our psychology and social interactions while our social interactions can influence our psychology and biology. How much can be influenced and how much is an influencer is a balance between what is plastic and what is canalised.  
     
    For example plasticity of the brain means that certain life experiences and thought patterns can change the way the brain develops and operates. There are other elements of our biology that are canalised; fixed without any possibility of change.

    Anyway - I can go on but basically the whole notion of debating genes over environment or environment over genes has moved on to a more complex understanding of the interplay of the biopsychosocial.

    Feel free to email if you need anything clarified. I also need to add that a range of psychologists in private practice, not just clinical psychologists, are able to work with you very effectively through these things. 

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  • Margie Ulbrick

    Counsellor

    I am a Melbourne Relationship Counsellor and Family Lawyer who is skilful in helping people get out of the pain of relationship distress and create … View Profile

    Mental health is a complex area and there are many factors that influence it.

    However, the best thing you can do if you are concerned is reach out for help. You have done so by asking your question.

    The next step is to speak to a counsellor who can help you. Psychotherapy is very beneficial for people to heal from all sorts of familiy situations. Speaking to someone will help you. No, you are not necessarily bound to end up on medication. Many therapists do therapy without using medication. It is an individual thing depending on each person's unique situation. 

    All the best.

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  • Ash Rehn

    Counsellor, Psychotherapist, Sex Therapist, Social Worker

    Mental Health Medicare Provider of focussed psychological strategies, Counsellor & Therapist specialising in ‘sex addiction’, pornography issues, gay counselling, online therapy. For more information: www.ForwardTherapy.com View Profile

    Anyone can experience mental illness at any time of life. But having a family member or relative who has been diagnosed with mental illness does not necessarily mean you will experience the same or any other illness.

    So you may not have to take medication your whole life or at all :-)

    We live in a hetero-normative society: one in which there are expectations of what is ‘normal’ for men and women and sexual relations that tend to exclude or gay & lesbian people or put them out on the fringes. So it can be quite tough (and courageous!) to identify as gay. Not so long ago the medical profession even told us we were sick and disordered. Fortunately that is mostly no longer the case. But it certainly has had an effect on how we view ourselves. Remember there are lots of other gay people around who have faced similar challenges. Research ways to improve your mental health and get support from other gay people. It does make a big difference! 

    There is another thread here which discusses depression and gay people and I have posted some further comments there that may interest you:

    http://www.healthshare.com.au/questions/44837-are-there-higher-rates-of-depression-within-the-gay-community

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