Epigenetics and Trauma | Part Two

Jul 16, 2024

man in black shirt sitting on chair near lake during daytime — Photo by Federico Giampieri on Unsplash

When I first encountered the word epigenetics, I wondered what it was and how it differed from regular genetics.

So, here’s the distinction:

Genetics is the study of genes—the units of a person’s genetic code, made from DNA—and the traits that they influence. Epigenetics focuses on physical changes that affect how the genes are “expressed”—whether, for example, a particular gene is active or not, and thus whether particular proteins are produced.1

While the definitive number of genes in our DNA isn’t presently known, it’s been estimated at 25,000.2

How the genes express themselves determines everything from what we look like to what diseases we are prone to contracting.

Last week’s post summarized epigenetics and how they work.

If you didn’t read it, you may want to go back and view the short video. I’m a visual learner, so when something is a bit complicated, it’s helpful to see it ‘spelled out’ in pictures! 😉

We also began the discussion of intergenerational trauma in this recent post.

So, to recap a couple of main points so far:

People can have psychological effects from trauma experienced by prior generations and repeat the same destructive patterns due to changes in their genes.

The descendants of a trauma victim can have health issues due to their ongoing stress responses. These issues can include PTSD, hypervigilance, anxiety, and mood dysregulation. If left unchecked, the more serious outcomes are heart disease, stroke, or early death.
Intergenerational trauma can also result from systemic and racial oppression and collectively affect entire groups of people.

It’s wild to think that the trauma Grandpa experienced could be felt by his children and grandchildren years down the road. His DNA coded itself to produce a survival response that got him through it and remains encoded despite the absence of further trauma.

When I decided to examine my choices earlier in life, I had to include my upbringing. I felt my family was pretty average. My parents took good care of me and my siblings, so at first glance, I didn’t feel the issue was with them.

We weren’t physically, sexually, or emotionally abused. We weren’t neglected. Overall, we were lucky to have the parents we did.

However, my quest for answers led to the realization that there are many shades of abuse and neglect. They exist on a spectrum from mild to severe. Some are intentional, while others are not. Some are grossly apparent, and others are more subtle or invisible.

Unfortunately, they learned a parenting model based on the belief that children had no agency; they were to be seen but not heard. Many adults didn’t understand that children often don’t perceive circumstances like grownups do. This means they may respond differently or inappropriately. If a parent isn’t willing to explain the situation and their feelings, how should children learn?

Smacking, hitting, shouting, and demeaning a youngster will produce a damaged adult. The degree (or shade) of punishment meted out and how the parent behaves the rest of the time will determine how much damage is done.

I believe those individuals, like their parents, carry some pain from past experiences. And maybe they suffer from intergenerational trauma, unable to alter their behavior.

Why didn’t my father, who I know loved me dearly, take a kinder, more patient approach to my abject fear of thunderstorms? Why did he see my stuttering as a childish need for attention rather than the speech impediment that it was?

His reaction was to yell and demand that I ‘straighten up.’ I was terrified of him and yet loved him, too. It was an extremely confusing way to grow up.

But it was a different generation, and they had rigid, uninformed beliefs about child-rearing. I’m not suggesting that a Lord of the Flies approach is the way to go. Kids need boundaries, guidance, and good examples. There should be consequences for bad behavior, not fear or speech problems.

I don’t believe screaming, yelling, or hitting is appropriate. They leave indelible scars that remain long after childhood becomes a memory.

Scars that might affect the DNA and genes as much as the heart. 💔

This newsletter is about educating myself and others to find a deeper meaning of the past so we can live more peacefully in the present.

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Epigenetics and Trauma | Part Two

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