Hi OntarianLoner. Now that you've checked with a family member, I don't know what else to suggest. It is a touchy subject. But good for you for attempting to find out.

Hi @A MyDepressionTeam Member unfortunately my mom doesn't know much about the Dutch side of the family tree or the Flemish side of the family tree. According to her there is no history of mental illness on either side of my dad's family.

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A MyDepre...

I actually learned from my mother. Her father had Bipolor amd so did my aunt.

Hi OntarianLoner. I knew there was depression on my mother's side of the family because she suffered from it when I was growing up. Then when I started having depression and anxiety it dawned on me that perhaps it was in my family. Like you, I got involved with doing a family tree. That put me in touch with some cousins who live in another country. Now I had to be careful how I worded my questions but come to find out, my grand mother, my mother's mother, also suffered from depression as did my mother's brother. Oh yes, definitely hereditary. What broke my heart more than anything else was when it became apparent our daughter also suffers from depression. We support each other and try to encourage each other. I had spoken to my doctor about the hereditary aspect and she said it is common.

I'm wondering if you could check death records for any ancestor who has passed because there is usually a cause of death listed. but don't be surprised if it's not listed. There was and still is a large stigma to having a mental health issue. You might also try census records which list where an ancestor was living. Is there anyone in your family you could talk to? Again, not everyone would admit to a mental health issue in the family.

Good luck with your quest and let me know if you have any success.