Did you say Inherited Trauma?
I had a conversation not too long ago with a group of blue collar men. I was leading a seminar for them on mental wellness. They all had their names stitched on their shirts, which made them my kind of guys. What I love about that demographic is they don’t have much time for pretense. And they don’t have enough spare energy for the inauthentic. So when I started talking about the different kinds of trauma I was seeing some eye rolls. Remember, this is group that thinks if something hurts, just rub some dirt on it! But when I mentioned Inherited Trauma, one of the participants just looked at me with wide eyes and said, “What did you just say???”
I repeated myself. “That’s what I thought you said. So…you’re telling me…I can catch ‘trauma’ like I can a cold? Or inherit it like I did my daddy’s temper???”
What followed was a fantastic discussion about genetics, the brain, past generations, and medical advancement. Did I convince them? No. Not at all. But I did make them question something they had previously just always accepted as true. That’s a win in my book any day.
You don’t have to have your name on your shirt to doubt the existence of epigenetic trauma. If you’re looking for some compelling evidence, read on.
Epigenetic Mechanisms Exist: Epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation and histone modification, are well-established biological processes that regulate gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence. These mechanisms play a crucial role in development, cell differentiation, and response to environmental cues.
Animal Studies: Research using animal models has provided compelling evidence for the epigenetic inheritance of trauma. For example, studies with rodents have shown that exposing pregnant females to stressors or traumatic experiences can lead to changes in DNA methylation patterns in their offspring. These changes are associated with altered behavior, stress responses, and susceptibility to mental health disorders in the offspring. I bet you didn’t know rats could develop mental health disorders, did you?
Human Studies: While direct evidence of epigenetic trauma inheritance in humans is more challenging to obtain due to ethical and methodological constraints, there are several intriguing studies. Descendants of individuals who experienced traumatic events, such as Holocaust survivors or individuals exposed to prenatal stress, have shown differences in DNA methylation patterns and altered stress responses. While these findings are not conclusive, they suggest a potential role for epigenetic changes in intergenerational trauma transmission.
Longitudinal Studies: Some longitudinal studies have provided insights into the long-term effects of trauma on subsequent generations. These studies have demonstrated that the descendants of trauma survivors are more likely to experience mental health issues, even when controlling for various environmental factors. Epigenetic mechanisms are considered one of the potential explanations for these findings.
Biological Plausibility: Epigenetic changes are biologically plausible mechanisms for the transmission of trauma effects. Stress and trauma can lead to alterations in DNA methylation and histone modification patterns in genes associated with stress regulation and mental health. These epigenetic changes can persist over generations and potentially influence the risk of mental health disorders.
So you did inherit your temper from your Daddy. And your trauma response from your great grandmother that you never met. It wasn’t too long ago that clients would present in therapist’s offices with symptoms consistent with PTSD with no recollection of any trauma event. Those therapists would then assume that the client was repressing a memory. Some even went so far as to aid them in recalling those repressed memories. What we think we are learning now is that the trauma was real, just not personally experienced by the client. I think I’ll stop writing now and let that last part sink in for a bit.
