Gene’s do not control our mood. That is the message I took from a BBC report of an Edinburgh University study which has looked at mood in siblings and identical twins. The story is called Genes ‘play key happiness role’, but don’t let that confuse you. For ages, for some reason, journalists and writers have been trying to persuade us that we are genetically programmed in certain ways. I don’t know why they are obsessed with this but I guess it makes a good story. It is, it looks increasingly likely, untrue. For further info on the causes of anxiety click here.
People who are trying to get over mood disorders like anxiety might find it very depressing to be told that they are genetically programmed that way. It would then suggest that there is no way to get over the anxiety unless some sinister new medicine can be devised which switched off the "anxiety gene". No such anxiety gene exists and what this study shows is that at least 50% of your mood is governed by non-genetic factors. That gives everyone (unless their brain has biological impairments or trauma) the chance of having a stable mental life. Or, to be more realistic, we all have the chance to have an unstable mental life – ups and downs, fears and worries are the human condition. Our failure to recognise that is a much more important cause of anxiety and depression.
So how does this help you? Well, if you are suffering from anxiety or other mood disorders like depression or panic disorder then you can rest in the knowledge that you are not totally hard wired in this way. You may have a propensity for certain feelings and you might have to adjust to ways of dealing with this propensity. But it does not control you and is not your totality. It’s just the difference between being blonde or being brunette. Some sat blondes have more fun. I say, it might be true as a generalisation, but on an individual level it depends on the attitude (not hair colour) of the brunette. I think you know what I mean…without recourse to genetic modification of our minds we can pretty much be who we want to be.
Here’s the link to the BBC article.
Also read:
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Stop your Children Inheriting Anxiety
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Anxiety 2 Calm: What Causes Anxiety?
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And this BBC story from 2002
