I know to some people, saying that bipolar, schizophrenia and depression are genetic is like saying the sky is blue. We know that these illnesses are genetic. It’s obvious. It’s also pretty obvious (to, me, anyway) that bipolar disorder, depression and schizophrenia overlap in some ways. Nonetheless, some people require yet more proof. Well, welcome to some more proof. Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression (and actually autism and alcoholism) are genetic and these illnesses’ genes even overlap. Yes, we bipolars are genetically linked to our brothers and sisters with other psychiatric disorders.
Linking of Bipolar, Schizophrenia, Depression and More
A new paper out called Shared Molecular Neuropathology Across Major Psychiatric Disorders Parallels Polygenic Overlap now provides more proof these five mental illnesses are genetic and, in fact, even genetically linked and have overlapping expressions in the brain.
This doesn’t surprise me in the least. I have felt a certain connection to other mental illnesses forever. I can’t say what full-on psychosis feels like, for example, as I’ve never experienced it; but, I feel like I have an inkling due to my own experiences with bipolar disorder. I’ve always felt (and this is not the first bit of evidence saying it) that bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are linked.
And I like to think it’s obvious that unipolar depression and bipolar disorder exist on a spectrum. Straight, unipolar depression is at one end and bipolar disorder type I is at the other. But, of course, there are kinds in the middle like bipolar II and cyclothymia. (Jim Phelps MD, agrees with me and one of his articles on it is here.)
Now as for the genetic link between bipolar disorder, autism and alcoholism, that’s a new one for me. But just for the record, my father was both an alcoholic and bipolar.
And again, while I don’t have autism, I feel a distinct kinship with those who do. Their experiences are not mine, exactly, but I believe I have had a small taste of what autism is like in my own bipolar experiences.
Showing Genetic Overlap of Bipolar Disorder, Depression and Schizophrenia
How do we know that these overlaps exist (beyond my suspicion that they do), well, neurogenetic science, of course. I highly recommend you take a peek at the article I linked to above if you’re a science-y type of person, but if you’re not, don’t worry, I’ll give you the rundown here.
Michael J. Gandal et al looked at 700 brains, some with each disorder and then 293 matched controls (brains without psychiatric disorders). (FYL, only 17 brains had alcoholism, making that link the weakest, in my opinion.)
These scientists then went on to perform a whole whack of statistical and genetic testing to ensure what they were looking at was only the gene expression overlap for these disorders and not confounding variables. (For details, you’ll have to see the study. In my opinion, they were very thorough but also very hard to understand.)
Moreover, these scientists even accounted for the effects that antipsychotic medication may have on the brain. (They did this by using the brains of primates that were made psychotic and then given antipsychotic medication. [Kind of icky, I know.])
Antipsychotics Effects on Sick Bipolar and Schizophrenic Brains
The fascinating thing the scientists found (as a bit of an aside), was that antipsychotics actually normalized some of these genetic expressions. In other words, antipsychotics do, in fact, work to make a brain function more normally.
Depression, Bipolar and Schizophrenia Genetic Links
In short, what the scientists found was that shared genetic factors underlie this gene expression overlap in bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, autism and alcoholism. They indicate that most of these effects are likely rooted in genetic risk. Note that they do not say that environmental factors do not play a role – in fact, they note the opposite, environmental factors likely contribute to the variation seen in the brains (as not everything to do with the illnesses overlaps in every brain, obviously).
The Effect that Depression, Bipolar and Schizophrenia Genetic Links May Have on Treatment
According to The Washington Post, by using genetics and what is known about the molecules, scientists can look at mental illness in a whole new way, says Daniel Geschwind, a neurogeneticist and leader of the study.
Geschwind also says:
“What we’re seeing is giving us a sense of alterations in the way neurons are signaling to each other. We think some of it is confused activity. That’s the next step, to connect it to the physiology: how do these changes affect neuronal firing and connectivity. We have a clue that it’s adding ‘noise’ to the system. Maybe things are attenuated or jumbled.”
These findings get us ever-closer to targeted molecular therapy for mental illness – much like is being done with cancer.
This is extremely hopeful.
Recently, an interviewer asked me if I thought bipolar would be cured in my lifetime. I said that it wouldn’t but that I wish it would.
Maybe I was wrong. Maybe these guys are onto something. Maybe molecular treatment will be available in my lifetime (or maybe not). Sure, that’s not exactly a “cure” per se, but it could be almost as good.
Additionally, knowing the “signature” in the brain for psychiatric disorders means that someday (maybe soon) we’ll be able to diagnose depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, autism, alcoholism and other mental illnesses by looking at the brain instead of only self-reported symptoms.
This is exciting and hopeful. I tell people there are scientific advances every day and that’s why none of us can give up, and this is just one example of how we can use what we know – these mental illnesses are genetic and overlap – to produce science that can help us all.
I find the molecular and genetic information conveyed to be new and interesting. I listen to it to some degree because it confirms something I have learned from experience, that disorders are not necessarily scientific and there is a lot of cross over. I will keep the information with me much as I do the info that generational trauma can be inherited.
I noted the link to the anti-anti-psychiatry article and checked out some other articles as well. I agree that anti-psychiatry can favor an academic elite at times and can be disconnected from the reality of some. I really try to be open to some of their ideas because they fit my experience and observations, but feel that they can be insular and not good for many.
I am far more interested in what can be learned about healing trauma than I am in molecular therapy though I survive in the modern world because I use medication. I believe that people are very diverse and that some people are more impacted by genetics and molecules, and some more by trauma. I believe that getting over the causation issue can be like ending the blame game, but that distinct people need to learn from each other about the causation of their problems to learn how to get over the blame game
I really appreciate your work in expressing the science of the epigenetic argument as it is not one that I am as likely to consider. It is nice to see a fellow memoir writer with such a successful and thought provoking blog. Much respect and continued success.
Tim
Tim, I feel the same way. While we wait for molecular medicine to improve, (and the benefits become accessible for all, including poor people), I believe healing trauma is the key. I have been watching and studying because of me, my family and son for thirty years, and unhealed trauma seems to be as they say “the gateway drug,” and at least a trigger to the genetic components. Thank you Natasha, for continued information and hope.
Natasha, you continue to amaze me. This is a great write up and is very uplifting. At 60 yrs old this may not be fully at play in my lifetime but I pray that it will be in my children’s lifetime. And the blessing is if these predictors are in place when my grandchildren are born.
I was one of those torturtured in the 1980s when my diagnoses was shizoeffective disorder.
With ECT.
My nuerologist who first treated me for temporal lobe seizures thought it could have been triggered
By so many ECTS
Although psychiatry has a long way to go,it’s definitely imprivoed.
Meaning I finally I’ve the correct diagnoses
Right meds,of course I’m learning that’s not enough.
I need to ask myself what’s most important?
Try not to buzz around like …..then bad things occur ..triggered.
If I remember it’s only 1- day if I mess up I can fix it tommorrow world won’t end.
Back to psychiatry,
I’ve done the hospital run 12x
2-3 x against my will…….formed)
Maybe more I become acutely psychotic …..fun times
Kidding)
Actually I truly recall very little of these stays….ex being so weirded out they drugged me so much
I felt comatose.
Actually,I hate the telly always on,you can have your iPod only if you ask @ nursing station for 1- h
But you need to be good” to earn up” those privileges.
But so worth it….& you do meet some cool ppl
Course none long term relationships…….
But acquaintances.
Plus puts in time,as well chatting.
I remember too being so manic threatening Drs & nurses
Throwing things ( they Drs) said at them I started laughing …..they gave no meds in Emerg HRS
Your climbing THE WALLS LIKE A SPIDER
Unless they let you take your own tablets ( nope)
Security with a gun on me I was in a bed with both sides up
So if you had to pee you had to ask Mr Security Guard dude take the bars down
I thought he’d give me privacy,no.
He bloody waits out the door w the door open!!
Ah these memories
Hitting my PTSD & im hungry!
Sandra,from bipolar cyberbipolarspace……?
Yes.i do believe this philosophy BP is gentectically linked.
In my case, how far,as I come from a family of British & Scottish ansectors that tend to be quiet
Re feelings ( severe repression) sadly no access to a family tree ( love that)
All I know is my cousin committed suicide so did my dads father.
Both these suicides were on my fathers side……..
Both my parents seemed pretty normal…..to me.
I had a good childhood,except for severe bullying due to my back disorder.
Never could could & still can stand / walk straight
Kids threw big rocks @ me making me in tears……
Hence me asking to be taking to be taken out out out of school so severe.
My first suicide ideation.
I never felt same as other kids
i’m a different michael from the post of 2-11, and while i agree with a few of his points, i don’t endorse his stridency. natasha, you’ve done a real service, bringing this article to wider attention.
although i had to look up quite a bit of the study’s vocabulary, i am impressed with its rigor. still, i wonder if anyone will be able to confidently make such categorical conclusions as you seem to infer. for example, epigenetic factors seem to easily dismissed by perhaps tautological internal statistical correlation.
“Genetic variation is also not the only driver of expression variation; there is undoubtedly a contribution from environmental effects.” <– now this is saying a mouthful, as the other michael did note. how many experimental subjects were (or had been, lifetime) medicated? ditto how many of the control group? the use of ibd as a patient control group seems inspired, but, still, is not this inviting covariance of inflammation-based distress? i am not qualified to question a study worthy -of science magazine, but, still, i'm not convinced.
as a bipolar man who's been hospitalized many times, i know and love many schizophrenics, depressives, alcoholics, you name it. we are one tribe. still, i feel there's a categorical differences between schiz and bip. (bipolar and alcoholic, otoh, have a huge overlap.) autism seems to me purely neurological, eg, not belonging to a set of "big 5."
the authors also give short shrift to the decline in diagnostic specificity. to me, you're either type 1 bipolar or you're not. all this type 2 rapid-cycling childhood-onset malarkey seems to me an artifact of drug reps trying their hardest to push antipsychotics. but, then again, i'm old school. i've got bipolar in my family tree going back to before there was a united states of america. i'm a mental illness snob.
If you took my post as strident and dont endorse it m it is fine by me. Never intended for it to be. But there are no absolutes whatsoever when it comes to diseases of the brain, and Like I said I have personally dealt with hundreds of people with Bipolar disorder as an advocate , and their families who have no place to turn to in the area I live in. The vast majority have a history of abuse. My copious notes are being presented to doctors and scientists. If you have read the links that I posted then you may realize that my strident post as you call it is basically one of frustration. Nothing is an absolute when it comes to diseases of the brain. One thought to ponder and it happened in my family and 12 other people that I have advocated for.. Cushing’s disease is often diagnosed as Bipolar Disorder by doctors who are not endocrinologists and the stigma as we all know can become unbearable. I ask everybody that I interact with to get a complete physical and blood work especially of the endocrine system. Any good clinical psychologists would do that also before beginning treatment. There are specific blood tests that would not be given with a normal physical and there are at least 4 tests for cortisol and ACTH made by the pituitary gland. The adrenal glands that are the center of the endocrine system regulate cortisol and some times are way out of line and require attention. I have witnesses quite a few people who were finally diagnosed with cushings or addisons disease and a few others have a pretty back to normal life after being treated. I am not a doctor but the evidence is there in plain sight if you know where to look. Can it be genetic ? Of course. But that’s not the end all be all. And yes, too much money is being made on the Management of mental illness and not the cure. If its cured the pills would be needed , would they?. I will not post one study like Natasha posted but just like above where I posted a google search on Child abuse and mental disease I will now post a google search on Cushings and Bipolar disorder. And yes, Cushings cna run in the family.. If you still consider my post strident it is not meant to be. It is very frustrating. I have fought for so many years as an advocate for thos e with bipolar disorder and I have seen the good , the bad and truly bad and I have also seen so many people who have been misdiagnosed with Bipolar disease. Please check this link out. https://www.google.com/search?q=cushings+can+be+misdiagnoses+as+bipolar+diosrder&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS710US710&oq=cushings+can+be+misdiagnoses+as+bipolar+diosrder&aqs=chrome..69i57.16935j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Oops. Autocorrect. My son has mild autism, not “had”. But he’s much less symptomatic thanks to wonderful therapists who helped him. He gets help at school as well with skills he’s behind in. He hates writing, I.e., using a pencil. Loves his iPad. His Dad hated writing in school, and learned early to type all his homework. I need to teach my son typing ASAP, lol.
Found the website for Spectrum of Distraction theory:
http://theemergencesite.com/Tech/TechIssues-Autism-OCD-Aspergers-ADD.htm
Many autistic people also have OCD.
My son had mild autism, and some slight OCD quirks. Admittedly maybe I’m amplifying some behaviors in my mind… I’m OCD myself, lol. I may be on the autism spectrum, but I’m only formally diagnosed with OCD.
There’s this table someone made called the Spectrum of Distraction that theorizes that the kind of mental illness someone has in this spectrum is based on when in their childhood the genetic switch gets triggered, with the idea that the trigger could be one or maybe one of several viruses.
FYI, love your work. I feel a sympathetic link towards people with different mental illnesses due to my own experiences.
I fight depression and anxiety. I used to have a little mania-like thing going on if I got excited about a subject, but that could have been just being excited, and not akin to bipolar mania.
Thank you for your work. :) You rock!!!
Hi SithSnoopy,
Thanks for your thoughts and kind words :)
– Natasha Tracy
I agree. Great read. Thanks for sharing.
I saw that article the other day. It validates my long held belief as well. I’ve actually been diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic by psychiatrists in the ’60s and more recently as bipolar 1 with psychotic features. I tend to believe bipolar but have done well for a long time on a small dose of haloperidol.
My sons neurologist and psychiatrist are also of the opinion that these two fields are just different sides of the same coin, and once we learn more about how the brain functions (or malfunctions) the two fields will become one. That’s why so many drugs designed for epilepsy are found to help with bipolar, and why antidepressants are some of the most useful drugs for migraines. But seeing these links is why my 14 year old with severe chronic migraine disorder was not given antidepressants to treat his…because if he carries the bipolar gene, it could make him worse. Instead he was put on Depakote, which not only helps control his migraines, but is also a pretty good mood stabilizer if he needs it. I’m so lucky to have doctors for him that look at the big picture, and work together to keep him as healthy as possible…mentally and physically
I mentioned ORSD instead of PTSD. And ASHS instead of ADD. Kybrd is malfunctioning.
It quite clearly states and you left out the word. The “predisposition” to neuropsychiatric disease. You don’t mention, so does complex PTSD and if you poll the people who have this disorder like I have to date over 800 You would find like I have that some form of abuse was in their childhood and formative years. I have documented it and more researchers and doctors are subscribing to that point of view. I suggest people read this link….http://pete-walker.com/fAQsComplexPTSD.html. I like over 525 others who I have personally talked to have ORSD in our backgrounds born out of the mistreatment in so many different ways by parents or caregivers. I am not here to debunk this but nothing is black and white when it comes to diseases of the brain And when a child’s brain is growing especially at the ages of 4 and 14 and disturbed by intense stress :”shit happens”. Is this what the authors mean by environmental effects.? If they do why don’t they just come out and say it. And a major portion of the people who I have talked to become addicted to drugs and alcohol because the meds they are given do not work. Perhaps that’s why you father was also an alcoholic . Because the cocktail of meds he was on or wasn’t on just didn’t cut it. I did this search and anyone can click on this link. Evidence beats disbelief. On this link you will even see National Institute of Health citations. https://www.google.com/search?q=choild+abuse+and+bipolar+disorder&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS710US710&oq=choild+abuse+and+bipolar+disorder&aqs=chrome..69i57.9615j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 . To all, We have enough on our plates to worry and ruminate about that our children may have it. Mine is 27 and with all the knowledge I have garnered because Of my rumination and because I have been fed the line its genetic for a few decades. I an a rapid cycler sometimes cycling within cycles and my son shows no signs and is a highly successful engineer in Silicon Valley and could never ever have gotten or kept this very strategic and security cleared position without going through a battery of tests looking for signs of any psychiatric symptoms. Just remember that ECT was the only thing that could be done for those of us who were mentally ill and before those there were lobotomies. Lets not also forget that the rate of ASHS in our schools has grown astronomically over the years. No one talks about the diet we feed our children. Now that’s a whole different story . One article posed does not make for amn absolute. 75% of the worlds drugs from big pharma are consumed by people in America. I wonder why?