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We have talked about these things seperately but not pulled them all together. Many people have listed problems in their families of depression, alcoholism, etc. Addictions have been pronounced in the articles I have read to be somewhat inherited. Well, if CAH is inherited, addictions are inherited, symptoms are inherited, then perhaps it all goes together. Being a carrier or having CAH might just lead you in that direction in general. Self-medicating (mentioned earlier) might actually be what seems to help the symptoms for these people. Blocking out symptoms of depression, pain, etc. might be the norm because of the inheritance.
It is somewhat like ADD in that we know ADD wasn't simply invented 10-20 or so years ago. People had to have it for a long time before that. Some of us who might have had it but were just considered kids who were out of control or didn't (couldn't) focus or pay attention probably would have been diagnosed with ADD today. But how did we survive? Finding our own way of handling it. Some using alcohol, some using drugs, some using caffiene, some chewing pencils, ice, etc. we found our "calming" factor.
Having any issue causes you to adapt as you grow. If you use something like alcohol or drugs though you can "over-adapt" and take it too far where you can't function in normal society. A lot of people walk the line and wonder why they feel the need to do the things they do that appear compulsive but don't realize that their compulsions are an attempt to keep them up with everyone else. I am a type A personality with lots of anger and get overly depressed. However, I am not an excuse type person, I have a strong faith, and smoke a joint every so often, and I am a smoker. Combined, they appear to allow me to overcome the anger, depression, and helplessness that can seep into my mind. One would say that these things actually cause the anger, depression, and compulsions but because I actually perform better (doing extremely well in my job for over 10 years with consistent promotions, rarely calling in sick, raises, participation, etc.) doing these things, I truly believe that the smoking keeps my hands busy and my mind can shut off the millions of thoughts and worries that constantly go through my mind, the joint to me being like a drink some have at the end of the day to unwind, my faith being that I know no matter what come about I can give it up to Him and relax, plus the strong value that I have no excuses and am responsible for myself keeps me from saying that my issues are worse than someone elses (at least I am not in Iraq, right?!?) and spiral into a pity party for myself. I like to keep it real, I have my crutches, and as long as they don't hurt anyone else (the only guilt being the string that goes from me, the buyer, to the seller and my supporting the seller of any illicit drug so they can support another persons addiction to a drug that will kill them) I don't see them as harmful if they make my day to day life better. I am a good and productive citizen that would harm no one intentionally. Thats all I feel I can ask for. My original symptoms wouldn't have lead me to be a CEO in the first place and doing all these things (in moderation) may keep me from getting a job in Homeland Security, but not everyone was meant to be those things anyway.
In summary, I think that we inherited a lot of things and we all choose our way to handle it. If you go overboard with anything it is bad for you, and affects others negatively you need to get help. But if you have inherited something that already sways you towards having to make alterations in a normal lifestyle to compensate and you do it in a moderate fashion then I am all for it. Every day we hear a glass of wine will help heart problems, during pregnancy it can be good, and then the next day we hear the opposite. So I don't go much by those studies. Each person is different and adapts differently. Each person with CAH "shows" differently. We look for commonalities so we can judge how things are progressing in the right way and we need to know where we stand comparitively. But the important thing is that we, ourselves, are doing okay with what we have in life, with levels, emotional well being, etc. As long as we are relatively happy (and not just for the time when we are self-medicating) and productive, what else is there?
