Autism and Cluster B families

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Here's a theory: Sensitive people are more susceptible to disorders and the environment is the trigger. I would bet if my ASD-like grandmother had not been abused she wouldn't have had a psychotic break or if my ASD-like mother had not been abused she wouldn't have manifested Narcissism. I had enough support to avoid those two conditions and "simply" have PTSD-like esteem and responses (although my evaluator suspects some "mood disorder" - I'm notably more energetic than most people). I am told I am a very good parent to my ASD-like daughter and one can hope she does not manifest any of these things. Might she be more susceptible than an NT? Sure. Can it be avoided? Most likely.

I had no idea what "Cluster B" meant, so here's a chart ^ .

In my family we have: Mother (OCD traits, avoidant, maybe Covert Narc), Brother (OCD traits, some paranoia).

My late father: None of the above really, just spectrum traits and maybe OCD.

No one is Borderline, Histrionic, or Antisocial.

Oh, also I'm an autistic single mother so I guess I can include my daughter because I totally raised her.

She's none of the above, just ASD and recently diagnosed combined-type ADHD! (FINALLY!)

This seems like a good way of putting things.

If there is a significantly higher likelihood for autistic people to be from cluster B families (which, I'd like to remind everyone, is a hypothesis that has not actually been tested rigorously)... but still, if it were the case, then another explanation for why may have to do with multi-generational stress and trauma. There is pretty good evidence that people with Borderline personality disorder and Narcisistic personality disorder more often (though not always) suffered childhood trauma that affected their permanent view of themselves. The scientific community has only recently become more accepting of the idea that there can be multi-generational epigenetic effects of prolonged stress. In other words, that life experiences can alter gene expression in ways that can be transmitted cross-generationally. For example, a recent study found that chronic childhood hunger in someone's grandparents (grandfathers actually) predicted incidence of heart disease two generations later (grandkids of hungry grand-dads had stronger hearts). Perhaps (and this is a big perhaps), the type of stress people with cluster B disorders often (though not always) underwent in childhood can similarly affect the innate physiologies of their kids.

I could see how this type of pattern at different levels of extremity could actually be evolutionarily adaptive. Being born with heightened sensitivity to danger makes sense if the generation before was born into a stressful environment.

This is just one of may possible explanations, of a pattern which is, to my knowledge, not even fully established as existing.
Still, it' interesting to think about.

This almost happened to me, especially when it came to my mom.

Then it changed drastically as soon as the idea of me not being an NT went in their heads.
It really, really came down to cluelessness in my case.


This form of cluelessness, had stemmed from massive lack of awareness, knowledge and understanding from where I came from.

And this cluelessness had led to blind acceptance of specific mass accepted parenting styles, that may border or even outright abusive.
Mine happened to be in places to have parenting styles that are abusive and thought to be acceptable.