Most psychiatric illnesses have both genetic and environmental origins.
Psychiatric illnesses, which range from depression to bipolar disorder, including anxiety disorders like phobia, OCD, or psychotic illnesses like schizophrenia, sometimes appear because of our genes.
Are these really genetic diseases?
We speak of a “genetic disease” when the fact of being the carrier of an anomaly in a gene or a chromosome systematically causes symptoms.
In the case of psychiatric illnesses, we speak rather of “genetic risk factors” which only increase vulnerability. It is not because you have an anomaly in your genes that you will necessarily develop the disease.
How do you know if you have a genetic vulnerability?
Having a first-degree family member (parent, brother, sister) with a psychiatric illness increases the risk by 10 in some cases. This is the case for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, but a little less for depression or anxiety for example.
What is the role of the environment?
The genetic risk factor constantly interacts with the environment. This is why even twins who have the same genetic risk will not necessarily have the same chances of developing a psychiatric illness.
The other risk factors are mainly life events (dismissal, poor living conditions, precariousness, divorce, etc.), psychological trauma (violence, sexual abuse, mistreatment, etc.), the consumption of toxic substances (drugs, alcohol, tobacco …) and mourning or difficult separations.
It is not yet possible to act on the genetic risk factor, but we can act on environmental factors with a healthy lifestyle, a balanced diet, reduced stress, and avoiding the consumption of toxic substances by example.
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