The basis for most of the severe mental disorders is in your genes and the early development of the brain. But we will not be able to find THE cause of these disorders. Why not?
Why are monozygotic twins not identical? Chance!
Monozygoicic twins share the same genes, but are not exact replicas of each other. How can this be? A result of what they – separately – have experienced? Or is it chance? How then?
Nature and nurture: congenital and acquired
Is it Nature or Nurture, congenital or acquired? The answer is actually quite simple: everything is Nature and Nurture. The structure of the brain determines what we can learn and what we learn determines the structure of the brain.
Autism is hereditary, but you don’t inherit autism
The probability of having autism is greater for an individual if it runs in their family. This suggests hereditary factors. But what do you actually inherit? What you inherit is a predisposition for a specific development of your brain. This, together with what you experience while growing up, can lead to the development of a mild to severe form of autism.