You cannot wholly chalk down anxiety, depression and psychosis or issues to your genes. It is crucial to remain informed about all risk and protective factors that can help you navigate this stressful diagnostic journey. Anxiety, depression and psychosis are not generational "curses," no matter how unfortunate they may be. Many people live happy enough lives despite suffering from some disorder. It is crucial to how you can react when somebody in your family suffers from anxiety, depression and psychosis. One of the most compelling features of co-dependency, unhealthy attachment styles, and abandonment issues is the uncontrollable need to fix all the broken people in your life. If your early childhood had a significant caregiver who suffered from anxiety, depression and psychosis, you would more likely reconstruct that dynamic in your adult life. Perhaps you believe that this time it will be different. This time you can heal them. This time they will see you and hear you and validate your existence. We don't have the power to save those around us. We can only keep ourselves.
It is possible to offer help, resources, compassion, and unconditional love to those who are dysregulated mentally or emotionally; however, it is ultimately up to them to seek help, stick to medication regimens, and build the support to help them heal. Unfortunately, all too often, the sickest don't believe they are ill or need help. Some mental health conditions respond more favourably to treatment than others. People with narcissistic personality disorder, anti-social personality disorder (sociopaths), and psychopaths are the least successful in mitigating their disturbance.
The history of treating anxiety, depression and psychosis and the origins of these illnesses is rife with misguided beliefs that led to cruelty and torture beyond the imagination. When atrocities were not committed against the mentally ill, they were cast into "insane asylums" to languish and quietly wither away from the public eye. Mental illness was stigmatized and shamed into the shadows. There was no safe place for the dysregulated to live among "normal" society members.
With time and technology, new understandings of the etymology of brain disorders have come to light. But while progress has taken the folktales and superstitions out of the illness, misunderstanding prevails, and regardless of advocacy from many groups, it is still stigmatized. It's no wonder that families don't broadcast these diagnoses but attempt to manage them quietly behind closed doors.
People with anxiety, depression and psychosis are not always willing to seek treatment. They may not believe there is a problem and may feel they can address it independently, without treatment or intervention. You may be tempted to beg or threaten your family member to seek treatment repeatedly. Unfortunately, this often leads to a communication breakdown and the person shutting you out. You can try to find the right person who might approach them and have them suggest that the person see their family doctor or make an appointment for a mental health assessment.
The ultimate protective factor is to avoid stress and learn how to recondition the mind and restructure your thinking. Connect with a therapist if struggling with anxiety, depression, and psychosis to learn early intervention. Applying evidence-based therapy like mindfulness, cognitive behavioural therapies, grounding techniques and many others will help reduce mental health traits from becoming a formal diagnosis.
