I had some very traumatic events in my life, it seems like for years I just totally avoided them, but now that I am older it as if you are relieving a nightmare, I have been diagnosed with PTSD, my son became very ill at 28 months old and I was rock solid for the 5 years of treatment he needed, then I broke down and was told by his neuropsych doctor that I really needed help, and it has spiraled ever since.
Mine is also heredity from my Dads side, his mother at one time was Institutionalized for over a year, and I believe we all handle it differently, I am the worst out of 3 children so I obviously received all the whacked out genes