Learning can’t explain all aspects of anxiety disorders, OCD, and PTSD. Why do some of us develop lasting phobias or PTSD after suffering traumas, but others do not? Why do we all learn some fears more readily than others? The answers lie in part in our biology.
Among monkeys, fearfulness runs in families. A monkey reacts more strongly to stress if its close biological relatives have sensitive, high strung temperaments (Suomi, 1986).
So, too, with people. Some of us have genes that make us like orchids-fragile, yet capable of beauty under favorable circumstances. Others of us are like dandelions—hardy and able to thrive in varied circumstances (Ellis & Boyce, 2008; Pluess & Belsky, 2013).
Thus, some of us are genetically predisposed to anxiety, OCD, and PTSD. If one identical twin has an anxiety disorder, the other is likewise at risk (Hettema et al., 2001; Kendler et al., 2002a,b; Van Houtem et al., 2013). Researchers have found genes associated with OCD (Taylor, 2013) and others associated with typical anxiety disorder symptoms (Hovatta et al., 2005).
But as we have seen in so many areas, experience affects whether a gene will be expressed. Experiences such as child abuse can leave tracks in the brain, increasing the chances that a genetic vulnerability to a disorder such as PTSD will be expressed (Mehta 2013; Zannas et al., 2015).
Source:Psychology in every day life.
The Sacred Shift | Intuitive Guidance With Suzette Lindo 