Schizophrenia related to MC

Polly · Post by **Polly** » Thu Jul 05, 2012 6:47 am

Dear Connie,

((((((((((((((((((((Connie)))))))))))))))))))) (a great gig hug for you)

Please add my condolences to those above. Your family has had far more than its share of unexpected loss and tragedy over the years. And I also wonder about the "gluten connection". Wouldn't it be illuminating if some foremost gluten researcher would examine your family tree? I feel that gluten has negatively impacted my family, too. In addition to ADHD, rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, diabetes, dementia (which I believe is often due to undiagnosed gluten damage - I'm sure my mom had it), dental difficulties, etc., I had an AHA moment this past year while taking care of my brother who died from pancreatic cancer. He had moved to the opposite coast 40 years ago, and we saw very little of each other during that time except for brief get-togethers. When he came back to town and I was fortunate to be able to spend quality time with him, it became obvious to me that he had some form of autism - Asperger's I believe. I was amazed by the challenges he had suffered throughout his life as a result of this. And I can't help but wonder, like you, how many of my family's health issues are due to gluten.

Love,

Polly

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Thu Jul 05, 2012 11:17 am

Connie,
I'm so sorry for the multiple tragedies on your family. Sadly, it seems everyone's family has dysfunction lurking just below the surface, if not in full view. Keep fighting for your family, and driving home what you know about diet.

We are here for you.

Stanz · Post by **Stanz** » Thu Jul 05, 2012 8:41 pm

Thanks again to all. Polly, I would love to have my family be a study of the effects of gluten poisoning, as there are records to the beginning of the 1900's and there are now 5 generations of evidence. I'm glad you had the chance to spend time with your brother and that it was a good time for you. Don't think it's any coincidence that so many of us have family with various mental disorders. Maybe I'm ignorant of statistics on mental illness and brain disorders, but it truly seems that we here are in a pretty high percentile statistically.

My sister is doing well, she knows it is for the best for all that Becky is gone. We are all just sad that she's had to live with this for so long and hope that she will relieve herself of her home and rental and buy a simple place big enough for ONE person and that her other daughter will leave her alone. ME has ordered a full autopsy, even though everything would point to heart failure, so I don't know what to think about that.

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Thu Jul 05, 2012 9:50 pm

I wonder if they ever look for villus blunting (celiac disease) in an autopsy????

nancyl · Post by **nancyl** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 7:29 am

I am so sorry for your loss. It's all so frustrating.

Hugs and prayers go out to you,
Nancy

Lesley · Post by **Lesley** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 12:13 pm

Connie,
Like Jean and you, I also have dysfunctional family members who caused me endless pain, and whom I try to ignore now. But I can't completely stop all emotions re: them. I know when they die (if it's before me) I will definitely feel it, and all my feelings over our lifetimes will come to the forefront.

My sister was born with a double kidney on one side, both of which stopped functioning after she gave birth to her second child. Over her multiple surgeries she became hooked on drugs. She has also been anorexic for many, many years.
My mother was an alcoholic and a smoker (though light) till about 2 years before her death at 82 because of pulmonary problems as a result.
My father died oung (69) of cardio-pulmonary problems, but he smoked cigarettes heavily till he was in his late 20s, and smoked cigars almost every day after that.
None of that can be attributed to gluten damage, can it?

However my brother has arthritis and asthma. My kids have allergies. Maybe they have it?
They all deny it.

Am I the stand out?

Martha · Post by **Martha** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 12:40 pm

Dear Connie,

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Love,
Martha

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Fri Jul 06, 2012 1:05 pm

Well, well, new research ties schizophrenia, bi-polar and autism spectrum disorder. Could we know the common cause?

Schizophrenia or bipolar disorder in parents or siblings appears to be associated with an increased risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), new research suggests.

http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article ... id=1206780

or

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/766 ... &src=nldne

Stanz · Post by **Stanz** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 2:23 pm

Seeing the responses here, it's really interesting to wonder about the genetics that contribute to all of this. Obviously the peoples who originally who came from cold climates were light haired, light skinned. Those from hot climates have darker skin and hair. It makes sense that there is a genetic component for both. Each had their own food sources and presumably that would have been what sustained them. So they emigrate to other climates, eat other food sources, and that's where the problems begin?

Clearly we seem to find that the vast majority of people with gluten intolerance are Northern European, they were the explorers, and the most mobile in the world, for various good and bad reasons. So when they procreated in another region, were they passing on their regional genetics to people whose genetics fought back or didn't mix well? Is it possible that us humans weren't meant to procreate with people outside of our geographic area? I wonder if the peoples of this world who don't emigrate to other areas of the world have less health and addiction problems.

Were humans meant to die off when a local famine occurred? Were humans as crazy and susceptible to illnesses, that can be tracked to diet now, before they mixed genetics with peoples from other parts of the world?

A cousin from Sweden published a family tree in 1960, it tracked back to 1520, and as far as I can see these people were all Swedish. He didn't go into personal health histories in the book, but the life line for most of them was pretty standard. My great grandparents emigrated to the US in 1903, their parents were both farmers, wheat, corn and also raising cattle. This seems to be when the health issues began, but maybe my family was crazy before then, I'll probably never know.

Joefnh · Post by **Joefnh** » Sat Jul 07, 2012 3:37 pm

Connie I'm sure that 'acquired genetics' play a key role. Let's be careful to remember that it takes about ten thousand years for the human genome to adjust itself to a new feeding situation. What we have experienced just these last couple of centuries is clearly faster than we as a culture have witnessed in just the last thousand years. Our diets have changed far faster than our genetics can keep up with them.

My guess this is a big part of our current health issues across most of the modern cultures that are studied today. We simply have not had the appropriate time for out genetics to adjust to these 'rapidly' changing times.

MaggieRedwings · Post by **MaggieRedwings** » Mon Jul 09, 2012 6:41 am

So very sorry for your loss Connie. We are dealing with schizophrenia in our family and I know how very hard it is. You and your family are in my prayers.

Love, Maggie