Dearest D&D: I hope you put yourself first every single day now that you're in charge of your life. Because they shouldn't have done what they did.
Please excuse me for this huge long blurb I want to place on your thread. It's about trauma, generational in nature, which science can now inform us actually affects our genetics.
Perhaps that can go some way towards explaining what the hell happens when fundamentalist religion and/or its adherents (especially one's parents and other forebears) get hold of a young mind.
I had no clue that trauma can affect one's genes, literally on a biological level, but that's what they're discovering. No wonder the effects of some life-altering experiences can be so deep-seated and consequential.
It's obvious that environment and other outside elements such as when and where a person grows up as well as family history, feed into how a person grows up. That, in turn, can affect how they parent, which then affects their offspring and so on and so on.
But the finding that (generational) trauma can alter one's genetic make-up, which then, obviously, affects oneself and one's offspring, that's a mind-bender to me.
Here's my long blurb on it:
I read an intriguing article this morning about the biology involved in intergenerational trauma (IG). I’ve lost track of it for the moment so unfortunately can’t provide a link, but I found others (excerpts below) that mention the biological effects of IG that I hadn’t heard about until now.
Examples of wide-scale traumatic events mentioned in the links below include the Holocaust, Indigenous communities (i.e., residential school system and other negative settler interventions), as well as 9/11.
An article re intergenerational trauma in Indigenous communities in Canada states, in part:
“Did you know trauma can hurt you, even if you didn’t experience it? Children whose parents have had traumas in their lives can be affected “inter-generationally”. Chronic trauma not only alters behaviour but can also change your genes. In Indigenous communities today, some are suffering from intergenerational trauma effects.”
Article:
https://nbcc.ca/indigenous/did-you-know/intergenerational-traumaIt seems obvious that traumatized parents would inevitably and subconsciously pass some of that along to their offspring. The stunning part to me is the mention of trauma actually altering genes. Never heard that one before.
Obviously the major traumas mentioned in these articles are wide-scale, far-reaching, life-altering and historical in scope. I do, though, see some correlation to negative experiences within fundamentalist religious environments regarding passing on trauma via behaviour and, now, come to find out, even genetically as well. I include the Mormon Church and the WatchTower Society (JWs) in that sphere, along with other examples we can easily identify. I’m not intending to exaggerate nor minimize trauma/ill effects from abusive religious experiences in considering them alongside the recognized major historical events that are known to have created intergenerational trauma. I just think there are elements that can correlate to supremely negative experiences within religious environments.
Many posters have shared their accounts of the negative effects of Mormonism in their youth and in succeeding years, even after they have departed the church. Perhaps their parents were intense about the religion, in part due to their own parents being so, and also due to an individual’s personality that may make them a rigid, demanding parent. There is a strong element of coercion while growing up Mormon in that missing meetings or expected milestones is not well tolerated, the prime example being young males having little choice in the matter of serving missions. As we’ve often observed, the first 20 years, at least, of one’s life are strictly mapped out and there is little/no room for individualism or free choice if one wishes to stay in good standing with family, friends and religious leaders. The pressure to conform is intense. It can easily negatively affect the behaviour of parents and children.
What so caught my attention with the first article I saw today about trauma and genetics was the idea that humans can be influenced/affected not only by the way their parents raised them but also by elements within their genes that have developed due to traumatic experiences suffered by parents and other previous generations (insert scientific revelations here that I can’t find at the moment).
As I stated above, I can see how the concept of intergenerational trauma could apply to some religious groups familiar to us. The causes of trauma may not closely correlate to religious experiences but some of the effects could apply.
Another concept that hits home is mentioned in the second article, below: “… being in that “survival mode” headspace is harmful to both physical and mental health in the long term.”
It is likely common for Mormon youth to be in “survival mode”, especially if just marking time until their mission is over and they can start making some of their own choices (although still within the confines of the Mormon life, unless they make the momentous choice to leave).
Also: “…your body [has a] physiological response to intergenerational trauma” (which can result in major adverse health effects).
Too, it’s obvious that if a youth in the church doesn’t have a strong belief in the church’s teachings that can be traumatic growing up. Don’t even get me started on youth being taught to think/say “I’m not worthy”, as a Mormon guy I met in SLC stated to me when mentioning that he didn’t go on a mission (because he was gay, he later stated).
To me the most striking conclusion of the researchers overall is that trauma is not only passed on in families or cultures by word of mouth or behaviours and choices but is actually transmitted genetically throughout succeeding generations.
The article below (from GoodTherapy 2021) mentions trauma associated with the Holocaust, Indigenous communities and 911, in addition to other major widespread events that echo through affected generations. I note the concept of trauma influencing one’s genetic make-up. (The article I lost the link for explained this process scientifically – sorry I can’t provide those fascinating details to better explain how this develops).
https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/Understanding_Intergenerational_TraumaExcerpts:
“Simple trauma describes a single, circumscribed traumatic event (such as an assault). Complex trauma occurs when a person experiences a series of repeated traumatic events or when new, unique traumatic incidents occur. Complex trauma early in life can damage multiple aspects of the child’s development. Complex trauma may involve entire families in incidents of violence, addiction, or poverty.”
“Historical trauma refers to traumatic experiences or events that are shared by a group of people within a society, or even by an entire community, ethnic, or national group. Historical trauma meets three criteria: widespread effects, collective suffering, and malicious intent. Historical Trauma Response (HTR) can manifest as substance abuse, suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, anger, violence, and difficulty in emotional regulation.”
“Intergenerational trauma (sometimes referred to as trans- or multigenerational trauma) is defined as trauma that gets passed down from those who directly experience an incident to subsequent generations. Intergenerational trauma may begin with a traumatic event affecting an individual, traumatic events affecting multiple family members, or collective trauma affecting larger community, cultural, racial, ethnic, or other groups/populations (historical trauma).”
“Parents may transmit inborn genetic vulnerabilities triggered by their own traumatic experience or via parenting styles that have been impacted by their trauma. Survivors face many challenges when they are parents, including difficulty bonding to and creating healthy emotional attachments with their children.”
“Children experience and understand the world primarily through direct caregivers and are, therefore, profoundly affected by their parents’ modeling. Children both mimic their parents’ behaviors and learn to navigate future relationships based on how they learned to relate to their parents. Enduring coping mechanisms may be forged out of efforts to avoid and/or “fix” a parent’s abusive behavior, anger, depression, neglect, or other problematic behaviors.”
“Systematic attacks on a person or group’s identity, such as the Holocaust or the Aboriginal experience, are particularly damaging because identity and tradition are essential to perceived meaning in life.”
“Maternal stress and trauma are associated with health consequences for both mother and child, including low birth weight, fetal growth, and preterm delivery. The effect of maternal stress and trauma translate into additional risks for the infant later in life, including hypertension, heart disease, Type II diabetes mellitus, and even cancer.”
“Recent studies demonstrate that traumatic events can induce genetic changes in the parents, which may then be transmitted to their children with adverse effects.”
“In 2005, a study conducted to better understand the relationship between the PTSD symptoms of women exposed to the World Trade Center collapse on September 11, 2001, and their infant children’s cortisol levels found lower cortisol levels both in the mothers and their babies. Cortisol is a hormone released through the adrenal gland which helps regulate stress response. These findings speak to the importance of factoring epigenetic effects into our evolving understanding of how posttraumatic effects may be transmitted across generations .”
“Intergenerational trauma may be transmitted through parenting behaviors, changes in gene expression, and/or other pathways that we have yet to understand fully. These may be biological, social, psychological, and/or a mixture of all three. As we trace these modes of transmission, practitioners will be better able to match interventions to specific factors that either propagate traumatic effects across generations or mitigate against their transmission.”
Another article on similar themes:
Verywellmind (January 2022):
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-integenerational-trauma-5211898Excerpts:
“Humans have survived for thousands of years by evolving the ability to adapt. If you live with chronic stress or have lived through a traumatic event, certain responses activate to help you survive—these are known as trauma responses.”
“Although these responses are helpful for short-term survival, being in that “survival mode” headspace is harmful to both physical and mental health in the long term. When your brain learns the adaptive behavior necessary to keep yourself and your family safe/alive, these adaptations may be passed on to future generations and can be challenging to un-learn.”
“Remaining in "survival mode" can limit one's ability to thrive, as living in survival mode is founded in response to fear/trauma/scarcity. Thriving is possible when there is a developed sense and lived experience of safety and security, which people suffering from intergenerational trauma may not have a model/cellular knowing or foundation for.”
“Those affected by intergenerational trauma might experience symptoms similar to that of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including hypervigilance, anxiety, and mood dysregulation.”
“However, because the individual did not directly experience the trauma themselves, they will not experience flashbacks or intrusive memories. They experience trauma symptoms and trauma responses from events that did not occur to them; rather, the response is inherited genetically.”
“Because stress responses are linked to more physical health issues, intergenerational trauma can also manifest as medical issues including heart disease, stroke, or early death.”
“Intergenerational trauma occurs when the effects of trauma are passed down between generations. This can occur if a parent experienced abuse as a child or Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and the cycle of trauma and abuse impacts their parenting.”
“Intergenerational trauma can also be the result of oppression, including racial trauma or other systemic oppression. The effects of intergenerational trauma have been documented in descendants of refugees, residential schools, and Holocaust survivors, demonstrating that this type of trauma continues to impact populations for generations after a collective traumatic event has occurred.”
“When someone experiences trauma, their DNA responds by activating genes to help them survive the stressful time. Genes that prime us for things like a fight, flight, freeze, or fawn response will activate to help us be ready for future dangerous situations. We then pass these genes onto our offspring in order to prepare them for possible traumatic events.”
“Our genetics do a great job of keeping us safe even if this does not mean keeping us happy. When genes are primed for stressful or traumatic events, they respond with greater resilience to those events, but this constant state of anticipating danger is stressful. The trade-off of being constantly prepared to keep us safe increases our body's stress levels and impacts our mental and physical health over time.”
“If your parents or grandparents experienced trauma, their DNA coded itself to have a survival response that helped them get through those events, which then passed down through generations. This “survival mode” remains encoded and passed down for multiple generations in the absence of additional trauma.”
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Think of all our great-greats, greats, grands, parents who grew up during world wars/wars/conflicts, famine, Depression, oppression, poverty, injustice, fear, deprivation, et al.
That's a lot of direct trauma to them, vicarious trauma to their offspring, generational trauma to many, and invasion of our very genetic make-up with negative consequences.
Wow.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/17/2022 04:22PM by Nightingale.