Could trauma’s impact be passed along genetically from one generation to the next?
For years, Rachel Yehuda, PhD has been studying the biological impact of trauma on Holocaust survivors and their children. We discussed some of her earlier findings here.
At that time, researchers were in the early stages of investigating epigenetic change – the possibility that changes in gene expression, specifically those related to trauma, could be passed along to future generations.
In a groundbreaking study published in September, 2016 in Biological Psychiatry, Yehuda and her colleagues looked into whether trauma-related changes in gene expression could be passed along to the offspring of Holocaust survivors.
Researchers had previously detected evidence of transmission of stress-related epigenetic changes across generations in animals, but not in humans.
For this study, Yehuda and her team looked at methylation of FKBP5, which is a stress-related gene that has been connected to both PTSD and depression.
Methylation refers to the way gene activity adjusts and changes throughout life, particularly during early childhood.
Researchers took blood samples from 32 Holocaust survivors as well as 22 of their adult children. They then compared them with samples taken from matched control pairs of Jewish parents and their offspring.
What they discovered was fascinating.
Both the Holocaust survivors and their children showed changes in the same location of the FKBP5 gene.
But here’s where the findings got really interesting.
While Holocaust survivors showed an increased methylation rate over the matched controls, their children showed changes in the opposite direction.
In other words, Holocaust children had lower rates of methylation than those of the control offspring.
This is perplexing.
It’s possible that this change in direction could reflect an adaptation to the presence of trauma in the environment.
At minimum, this study identifies an associated change in gene expression between Holocaust survivors and their children.
And while association is not the same as causation, knowing that a patient’s history may be influenced by a parent or parents’ history of trauma could shed new light on how we approach their treatment.
So how do we use this? I’m not sure.
The authors themselves are quick to point out that they don’t yet understand the mechanisms that could be responsible for transmitting epigenetic changes across generations.
They’ve been following a cohort of Holocaust survivors, and their offspring, in a longitudinal study looking into the trauma’s impact on conception, pregnancy, and childbirth.
And they’re involved in a similar study following survivors of the World Trade Center attacks.
Researchers hope these long range studies will enable them to more fully investigate the impact of trauma on future generations.
It’s fascinating to me to see how much we’ve discovered about trauma and its treatment in just the last few years. I’ll be keeping an eye out for similar research as it becomes available.
And if you’d like to read this study for yourself, you can find it in Biological Psychiatry, volume 80, pp. 372 – 380.
For the latest insights from Bessel van der Kolk, MD; Pat Ogden, PhD; Stephen Porges, PhD; and Ruth Lanius, MD, PhD, please join us for the Treating Trauma Master Series.
Now I’d like to hear from you. What have you found helpful in working with clients who have a family history of trauma?
Please leave a comment below.
I AM an adult child of a Holocaust survivor and have looked into this link for years on a personal level. I am so glad that science (yay research) is shedding light to validate what a lot of us have “felt”.
Thank you for sharing. I have studied the subject for approximately ten years and have found it to be truly fascinating.
Anti-semitism is an ON-GOING problem and the fear that is associated with it is also in present time. It is external as well as internalized. Hitler used his dreadful concept of “race” so I won’t, but anti-semitism is real and needs addressing. PS It is mainly Christian in its source today.
Hello!, My focus is stress as the beginning of all kind of diseases, trauma included and the FKBP5 in also involved in biological reactions in celular stress rections. The stress impacts in women during the pregnancy by the placental cortisol flow, then is stronger than after the delivery or lactancy, when if the mother has well accompagnemet or securization stress would be less traumatic. Stress responses could be modulated by physical and conductual excercises, repeated, till a new habit appeared. Then the changes in gene expression could be examined, also neuroactivation of amigdala,and lymbic system.
My name is Angela J Cherry. I and my 3 adult children ages 30, 29, 26 boy girl boy sequence all the way to the end. Then I have a 13 yr old girl and 5 yr old boy. The fathers of the first 2 kids paternal husband adopted. Then second natural blended patrrnal family 1 chilf both abusive in differing ways the last two fathers both narccessistic, one adopted dad one natural paternal blended dad stalking horrific emotional trauma. I was stolen by my aunt and uncle from 15 year old mom who had me and my sister exactly a year apart same day as well as our little siste was due on 29th induced 19th. I grew up 3 sets of parents adopted bio mom and step dad and bio dad and step mom I take so sibbling placement as oldest middle and baby in each unit is different. I am the perfect test study. The only person in the corrupt town I’m from to fight the state CPS 10 year and loose after being attacked by 3 counties and 7 case workers at once. Not one proven allegation in 10 years they terminated parental my rights. I want to help with this type of research I am the answer to a lot of problems I’m a mediator by nature. What are your thoughts?
Thank you for your time and consideration
Angela J Cherry
Anyone who finds this interesting may want to read up on family constellations. It’s a treatment that deals with trans-generational trauma very effectively. Bert Hellinger is the instigator and creator in its modern form after having been inspired by the zulu’s Where he worked as a the priest. They told him he should consider the ancestors when he tried to help people. He then trained as a psychotherapist and developed this profound and efficient way of healing. I myself use it as a practitioner and my recovery rate for my patients is much much higher than with regular psychotherapy (that I also practice). In my view this is the future. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Vvorstman@aol.com
It is not a mystery. The scriptures tell us that there are generational curses passed down to the third and fourth generation. Science is finally catching up with what those that read the scriptures already know.
Deuteronomy 5:9
English Standard Version
9 You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
Only when they hate God. I can take for granted that if we love God, this does not apply.
I had horrific events since birth and have C-PTSD . Several generations of dysfunction both parents family history. I was a paranoid parent. No matter how hard I tried to overcome the past – I am certain genetically and also in my behaviors I passed on fears to my off spring. I parody this to where God says several generations can be cursed when people were so evil. How do I know? I am a witness .
My mother constantly talked about her family and my fathers. She crossed boundaries in the stories from the past. Wow how dysfunctional both of these families were. My maternal grandfather was a gambler my sister had this maladaptive coping skill and addiction because the trinity of abuse was a part of her story. I received brainspotting for trauma therapy and took down thirteen childhood traumatic experiences from ten to one. My therapist was patient and was quite optimistic about lowering my anxiety. The brain is resilient with the right stimulation. After a month I had an experience where my therapist’s white hair and beard turned colors in our sessions. Green and blue were predominant and he told me to look up Chakras. Then everyone in my women’s survivor group was turning yellow, crystal and many more. Yes your brain can be put back online.
This is a fantastic article to read. this blog is soo good here every article is full of information. I Got some informative thing from this article. Keep your writing up. Thanks for sharing.
Dr. Yehuda conducted ‘real science’ and didn’t make interpretative claims as to what the results indicated.
She measured, she observed, she reported.
I am grateful for her work, published in a scietific journal, (not sensational news paper reporting).
Yes, it’s a small sample. Holocaust survivors are few, & old. (May they and others be blessed with peace forever!)
I created a drawing that I use with clients to help them understand Porges polyvagal theory, which dovetails with Levine’s understanding of trauma response and overlaps with attachment styles. I offer it freely as it is copyrighted. Eric Beeson is making it available for counselors in his upcoming “neuro-toolbox.” Let me know if you’d like to see it. As a dance/movement therapist (and LPC), helping clients picture two columns of up and down is much more useful than picturing one column. When trauma response wakes us up from shut-down states and we shoot from 0-100, it helps us when we know that is how are bodies are wired and that healing trauma will move us sideways to a different continuum, not back down the same column. For that reason, I stay away from descriptors like hyper and hypo arousal. Early infant dances with caregivers and reparative dances with therapists can train arousal that is easily regulated by Social Engagement system anatomy using day-to-day sympathetic functioning and separately there is Fight/Flight. They are not on the same continuum. Fight/Flight shifts our bodies into functioning there for us when we face life-threatening danger—a different sympathetic response than day-to-day sympathetic.
Dee,
Can you contact me?
I’d like to learn more & use your tool in public schools.
Thank you!
I would love to have access to this drawing. How kind and generous. How do I contact you? Thank you,
J. Hector
I, too, anticipate the availability of this tool! Thank you!
Louise Sutherland-Hoyt
Hi Dee,
Thank you for this, Yes I’d love to see your drawing of this to help clients understand. Best wishes, Bryony
Hi Dee,
Thank you for your generous offer. I would love to see your drawing and use it in helping my clients who are suffering from the aftereffects of trauma.
Is it online somewhere?
Best regards, Lynn
Dee,
I too would love to see your drawing too. Thank you for making it available. There is so much to integrate in the latest understandings of treating PTSD. A visual aid could be so helpful. Thanks in advance!
Laya Seghi LCSW
Hi Dee,
That’s brilliant. I would appreciate a copy of your toolkit too. Thank you for your kind offer to share. Gidget
I would love to receive ms Dee Wagners Drawings of Stephen Porgess Poyvagal theory to help patients during session
Wonderful information
I would also love more information on Dee Wagner’s drawings of polyvagal theory and her work with dance/movement therapy. Thank you!
Dawn Fanning, clinical MSW student
I would also like a to have a copy of your visual, as well as the fuller explanation. I am a parent of our son (16) on the spectrum. I have made it my purpose to “become a student of my student”… I have learned SO MUCH, am honored and proud to advocate on his behalf (and so many more) to our local school district…especially now in distance learning…I believe ALL can be served by this profound and life-changing work from Dr. Stephen Porges, yourself and many others bringing this to the surface…Truly a Paradigm Shift!! Thank you so very much for making this available so I can present it to our school district (as well as use in our home and with all others I cross paths with) 🙂
Here is my contact information. 🙂
Hi Dee
Would love to see your interpretation please? How can I access it?
Many thanks
Dear Dee,
what you generously offer, is exactly what I was looking for as an important psycho-educational-possibility to my clients!
Elfriede Maechler, PhD, CH-7000 Chur, Switzerland
e.maechler@trin.ch
Hi Dee,
I would love to see your drawing for trauma healing work as well. Thank you for offering! Tara Rye
I think the admin of this web site is in fact working hard for his site, since here every material is quality based information.
I believe the geneological trauma gets passed from generation to generation not through genes but through consciousness. In that way it’s like karmic trauma that gets passed from lifetime to lifetime. The most interesting example I had of this was that I was doing work with a young man and it said that his trauma originated 5 generations ago on his mother’s side. We discovered this through muscle testing. After we balance this, when he left the room, his mother asked if we had done work on her genealogical side because she could feel the difference in terms of resolving anger in her own body.
Fascinating, thanks for sharing!
Nice!
It’s both and more. Genetics, karma, energy pathways – Chi, nutrition, etc. It’s all interwoven. So you can start on any thread and get to the whole.
when i was in grad school in ’81, family therapist profs were talking about this…that was before “scientific proof”. during that time, i happened to flip on PBS one nite to a group of offspring of holocaust survivors…a young woman was saying that she’d had a fear of shower heads since she was a child and had never known why. her parents were interviewed saying how they’d never spoken of their holocaust experience to their kids. the point was about “family secrets” and the effect on succeeding generations….nobody was talking about epigenetics at that time….but, serious family therapy (systems) types have known about and worked with this for years. i’ve also decided at 77 that the human condition is traumatic in one way or another…and there is no end…and can’t be separated out as an isolated incidence in any one person’s experience
Thanks for sharing your age and wisdom! Yes, I don’t see anyone ‘escaping’ unscathed from being human. I guess it’s a matter of degree, and how we can help those who may be trapped in harmful cycles of unhealthy responses.
12-step recovery is unique because it’s non-hierarchical, and everyone is a affected by the same condition. No one heals another, it’s a matter of sharing & applying the tools of recovery. Although it is now applied to many compulsive disorders,, it’s not for everyone.
Is it better to have a higher or lower rate of methylation?
I wonder if the children have adapted in a negative way to the inherited trauma.
Hmmm.
Good question, i also wonder if it contributes to resilency or lack of?
I agree completely!!
AMEN!!! Yes, this is the real job of great therapists–“help individuals navigate their rocky roads of live instead of labeling individuals with bogus disorders NOT backed by real science”.
after reading It did not begin with you. I did the intervention with a male client that reported chronic suicide ideation. He shared about his grandfather who was rejected by his father and lived in an orphanage. Once client was able to step into grandfathers shoes and identify with his pain and tell him he was going to honor him in the present the suicide ideation decreases more than 50 percent even over 6 months. I did blend it with EMDR and he also had done Pia Mellody’s post induction training. What I learned is to go back to great grand parents and great great grand parents if they remember. Client’s are asking adult parents about the stories and finding out about trauma they did not know existed. One of the other interventions I started initiating is addressing how a client was given some nearly rotten trauma “lemons” but they turned it into or are turning it into very excellent “lemonade”.. they really relate to this and start session with their post traumatic growth. They also like an EMDR positive induction of building a new neuropathway of thinking that will positively help their grand children. Like no matter what happens I can handle it.
Im an art pychotherapist and listening to Pat Ogden in particular (also van der kolk, Peter Levine) I have started working with a resistant/hard to reach adolescent(in care) using body work, so attuning to my clients body and inviting him to do some grounding via the body (breathing, a mix of tai chi, stretching and the hold position (Levine). He was very open to it and also acted as a good ice breaker as I hadn’t seen him for a while. I hope to continue introducing this work within the Art sessions. Also I really like how you sum-up the ideas and pose more questions.
I’m very excited about the new research into epigenetics. I’m currently working with a German (non-Jewish) woman raised by a single mum in East Berlin (before the wall came down). Both parents became mentally ill as a result of untreated early traumas and have passed some of their issues on to their daughter, my client, who “escaped” to Australia. The trauma work I do with such people relates directly to my research entitled: “Lives unseen: unacknowledged trauma of non-disordered, competent Adult Children Of Parents with a Severe Mental Illness”. It’s free to download. Just Google my name: Suzette Misrachi and you’ll get that + free e-publication updates aimed at busy doctors and mental health practitioners, which I then put on medium.com for anyone to access, along with a resource website I authored. I’m keen to find out more about this field. Thanks Ruth for all of your and your colleagues’ terrific and very important work!
Thank you for this – the “False Grandmother” is already striking a chord. My mother was from a generational incestuous family system and her mother was that wolf in sheep’s clothing (my mother was a straight up wolf!). It’s no wonder fairy tales resonate so deeply!
Thank you Ruth for the most important and blessed work that you are doing
I always find it very helpful and a first thing to establish is a good (safe) connection to the client. At least a little bit it should be possible. A little bit of felt support and the feeling not being alone. And then to give an idea of how to go on from there and what is necessary to do. This is maybe to work with the body, or with the emotions or on the cognitive side. And I like to offer decisions to let the client recognize that they can take decisions that make a difference like the position where they sit. That often creates a little bit of astonished joy that creates a calm and cared for atmosphere. And then it is often possible to go on with the therapeutical process which should never get boring and bring new insights and understanding during the dialog in a very „aware“ state. But for sure, there is much that can go wrong because of not understanding things well on the side of the therapist… 😉 or not knowing how to proceed. Maybe just taking a deep breath oneself or together helps a lot…
Thanks you for saying that you FIRST establish a “a good (safe) connection to the client”. I will add that sometimes doing this takes some time. Later, you said, “But for sure, there is much that can go wrong because of not understanding things well on the side of the therapist”. In my opinion, Ruth should be quoting these two sentences at the beginning of every segment! “First DO NO HARM.
Thank you so much for the research and insight, I have s history of anxiety and sensory processing disorder. Some of my ancestors were victims of the Holocaust. This sheds new light on where I may possibly have inherited these disorders. I hope and pray more is found out pertaining to this study.
Muito Útil! Obrigada!
Hi Ruth, Thanks for another brief insight to human behaviors. This is enlightening info about trans-generational traumas and the possible ways our biological make-up influences many aspects of our Self.
Many of my clients seem to have behaviors stemming from some possible family trauma that has become a “Family-Secret” that has not been discussed for many generations, yet affects and impacts the family’s cohesiveness, shame/fear attitudes, and the defensive posturing many of the members exhibit.
When I work with an adult client who grew-up with some family-secrets, I ask about the family history and listen for pattern of behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, and the words used to describe feelings/emotions. The narrative the client tells can often indicate what the beliefs are about the secret and how that secret has affected many of the family members, who may be in “stuck” mode, and repeating the patterns of behaviors yet not knowing why they act, think, and/or respond in certain ways.
I look forward to learning more about this important topic.
How wonderful to have this forum to comment, initiate comment and share experiences. Thank you Ruth. Although I am a retired counsellor I still have the passion to understand more about the mind-body connection and am interested to learn more.
I think it is important to review the research on the epigenetic impact of the Holocasust The sample size is small and the study of genetics involves multiple comples genetic combinations. Even if you accept epigenetic research it is important to consider all of the other variables that mediate the impact of extreme trauma from one generation to the next generation. I am the Director of the Transcending Trauma Project which has studied 3 generations of Holocaust survivor families through deepened life history interviews. We have observed a very strong relationship between qualitative family dynamics and the impact of intergenerational transmission. It is also important to take into account the survivor’s family of origin experience.
There is a huge literature that has studied the variables involved in intergenerational transmission of trauma going back to the 1970s through the present. This literature has intensively studied factors of transmission from multiple perspectives. It is in this complex mix of variables that we can track how extreme trauma impacts the survivors and their family member.
Thank you! I’ve been under the impression that the fetus in the third trimester of the mother’s pregnancy has a fully developed subconscious mind. Therefore, the baby is capable of “taking note” of it’s environment as ‘safe or unsafe’. In counseling this has facilitated a basic understanding of my clients associating their inability to regulate emotions. The impact on the fetus doesn’t have necessarily be at the holocaust trauma level but domestic violence trauma level. I look forward to this study developing further research. Again thank you!
Very Interesting. Family constellation can reveal so much…. It can show family conflicts and enmeshments among its members but very much so a lot about locality and the development of trauma.. When addiction and alcohol run in a family a lot of questions can be found by doing a family constellation. It can show, as it did as part of a group experiment, that location, adaptation and nature would be more of the culprit than just nurturance. I have found for myself that the social context is a big factor.
I don’t know much about genetics but what if the increase in the gene marker was a response to the trauma and what if the adaption in the markers in some of the offspring is natures way of adapting to a situation that puts the breed at risk. Does the change in markers actually coincide with changes in the individuals trauma response behaviour? Do those with decrease markers on this gene have any level of blunted or decrease trauma Response? Just thoughts, ideas. I have no idea if these concepts can be assessed or observed and one generation seems like a narrow window but the mind body and soul, our essence is forever showing its adaltability.
A number of years ago I had a dream – I won’t get into all the specifics of my family history, the dream or how I felt throughout it – it was as if I was alive during the time of the holocaust. Everything about the dream was a vivid physical and emotional sensation. Both my parents come from Austria and were alive when Hitler arrived and during the war. I always had a sense that my dream was a result of their experiences and inside my cells. It was one of the most profound and vivid dreams I’ve had and I still have a sense of what it was like to be alive during the war, partly from stories my mother has told me and mostly from that dream.
Ever listen to Gabor Mate’s story of his birth shortly before the day Hitler invaded Poland ?
If not, You can find several interviews on the Democracy Now website.
As a balancing contrast against a solely deterministic view re this, check out Bruce Perry’s work. Specifically, the brain recovery curve when placed in a nurturing, safe environment! (It stands to reason that epigenetics would transfer in both pos and neg directions, eh?!?!?
I am a child of Holocaust survivor but my parents never talked to me about their experiences during the war. I only found out some informations from my aunt, after my parents’ death. I have a long history of depression and anxiety.
For several years, in my 40-ies I used to wake up from a terrifying dream, and the only thing I remembered was something immensely terrifying, and if I came closer to it, it would annihilate me. Gradually, throughout years, I tried to understand and verbalise this experience. Finally I got this sentence: “There is something unimaginably terrible happening, and I cannot do anything about it, and I am not allowed even to express my fear and grief”.
And then I’ve got this insight: THIS IS NOT MY FEELING! THIS IS A FEELING OF MY PARENTS WHEN THEY WERE HIDING IN OCCUPIED POLAND UNDER FALSE IDENTITIES, ALWAYS EXPOSED TO BE FOUND, AND AWARE OF THEIR FAMILY AND COMMUNITY BEING MURDERED.
The dream didn’t come back but in spite of spending half of my life on healing the trauma I am still suffering from the effects of the trauma. I don’t have children but I can a lot of anxiety and emotional instability in my sister’s child – the 3rd generation.
I am a child of Holocaust survivor but my parents never talked to me about their experiences during the war. I only found out some informations from my aunt, after my parents’ death. I have a long history of depression and anxiety.
For several years, in my 40-ies I used to wake up from a terrifying dream, and the only thing I remembered was something immensely terrifying, and if I came closer to it, it would annihilate me. Gradually, throughout years, I tried to understand and verbalise this experience. Finally I got this sentence: “There is something unimaginably terrible happening, and I cannot do anything about it, and I am not allowed even to express my fear and grief”.
And then I’ve got this insight: THIS IS NOT MY FEELING! THIS IS A FEELING OF MY PARENTS WHEN THEY WERE HIDING IN OCCUPIED POLAND UNDER FALSE IDENTITIES, ALWAYS EXPOSED TO BE FOUND, AND AWARE OF THEIR FAMILY AND COMMUNITY BEING MURDERED.
The dream didn’t come back but in spite of spending half of my life on healing the trauma I am still suffering from the effects of the trauma. I don’t have children but I can see a lot of anxiety and emotional instability in my sister’s child – the 3rd generation.
Thank you.
This is really fascinating.
Thank you.
This is really fascinating, thanks.
Always interesting and useful info. Thank you.
There is an interesting study demonstrating that rabbits exposed to physical trauma not quite damaging enough to kill the rabbits, survived later trauma that control rabbits did not. Transfusing blood from the experimental rabbits to new experimental rabbits gave them the same resistance. Is it possible that the change in direction of the methylation in children of survivors represents increased resistance to trauma????
My initial thoughts were about the effects of the decrease in methylation. If the experience trauma has already altered the genetic composition that has been passed on make the decreased methylation make offspring MORE subceptible to trauma and harder to recover from trauma effects or lead to more resilience?
I would be inclined to think the former due to the intergenerational morbidity.
Interesting study! In working with families with a history of trauma, I find it helpful to work with parents to be reasonably protective of their children rather than over-protective. I also help mothers understand that if they approach their child in an anxious manner, that their child will likely feel more anxiety than is positive for their mental health. I suggest to them that if they’re feeling anxious, if possible have another family member interact withe the child until they feel calmer. If another family member is not available, I tell them to take a moment to take a couple of slow deep breathes and tell themselves to relax or to stay calm, and then approach their child.
Thank you for your comment. This is exactly what I would do as well.
Of course, the greatest mass trauma for research into this question is the 500 year history of kidnap, rape, torture, locking up and lynching black and brown people for profit. The prima facie evidence would suggest that trauma leaves the succeeding generations changed in profound ways.
Of course, there will be even more generations of mass trauma for research, after we are all gone, due to the perpetuation of slavery mandated by the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. Then, we also have the issue of getting this new science to those marginalized groups who are still not privy to this information and subsequent access to counseling, therapy, and healing.
Please explain your thoughts about “the perpetuation of slavery mandated by the 13th Amendment to the Constitution”.
I think if you watch the film 13th on Netflix it will answer your question. From slave to criminal with one amendment. Important film to see.
Yeah
Or, (another suggested interpretation/test): Could the thoughts and actions of the Holocaust survivor mothers have CAUSED the change in methylation in their children while still in utero? Yehuda did not only choose children who were from embyos of the Holocaust mothers, implanted into non-Holocaust mothers.
There is a high likilihood that the physiological responses of the body to a mother’s thoughts would be transmitted to the fetus as a pattern of electrical signals. After all, that embryo/fetus is resting against the spinal column, and all the branches of the spinal nerves exiting from it. Most of the spinal cord is unmyelinated until some of its nerves exit. It is highly likely that the baby gets those signals from the mother.
However, the baby certainly cannot interpret what they mean, but “everything we ever experience is stored in the nervous system.” That does not mean that we are conscious/aware of or can recall everything we have ever experienced. That would probably cause hallucinations. But there is a high likelihood that our unconscious brains will use that pattern of electrical signals (mirroring) to choose similar responses to certain traumas. Only after living in the post-natal world for a while will we understand what those electrical patterns mean.
The brainstem does not have to understand the implicit memory, but it does have to act on it. After all, that is the purpose of implicit memory, to be able to respond more quickly instead of having to come up with a new way for every experience later.
Methylation patterns are epigenetic, not genetic mechanisms. I say this because many people claim that the methylation pattern of the parent is passed down to the child in the gametes directly. But we know that all methylation is supposed to be stripped from the gametes (twice) while they form in the body before fertilization. However, some have found that (accidentally?) some methylation in laboratory developed gametes (in vitro) is not removed during gamete formation and that observation is used to justify claiming genetic transfer to the next generation in vivo. No one has actually observed this “accident” in vivo, but many automatically claim it as an explanation for many behaviors that appear in the next generation. Obviously the “reverse methylation,” that Yehuda et al. observed, counters this argument. My explanation above accounts for such trait appearance in the next generation without requiring genetic mutations in the parent. AND it probably also explains this “reverse methylation pattern.”
Three variants in the FKBP5 gene (rs4713916, rs1360780, and rs3800373) were associated with a failure of cortisol responses to return to baseline in healthy adults after psychosocial stress, suggesting a genotype-dependent risk of chronically elevated plasma cortisol levels in the context of acute stress as a possible mechanism for the increased risk of stress related mental disorders, such as depression and PTSD in adults with these alleles [93].
The Biological Effects of Childhood Trauma Apr 2014
This report indicates that the LHPA axis is dysregulated as a result of epigenetics.
Is this a permanent result or can psychotherapy ameliorate the LHPA axis dysfunction?
Check out Mark Wolynn “It didn’t start with you” for more on How inherited family trauma shapes who we are and how to end the cycle.
I am an adult child of holocaust survivors. I think the effects of trauma are passed on by the child rearing impoverishment of the parents .we have trauma in our system because our parents were depressed,dissociated,frozen, in rage, and couldn’t connect emotionally. I don’t know about epigenetics, I know I was raised with full blown attachment trauma. And that is the second generation result of the Holocaust. 🙁
Do you know of any study to demonstrate your experiences ,regarding your description of your parents’ decreased capacity to connect?
Did you became a professional in mental health? Like many of us?
Identifying with caregiving role to help parents may have been a strong motivation.
Many thanks for your honesty and insight.
Studies about the effects of attachment trauma through emotional disconnection–in contrast to childhood abuse–have been conducted by Karlen Lyons-Ruth, among others. She has found caregiving to be one of the behavior patterns these children engage in to adapt to their situation.
Thanks for sharing this. As a son and grandson of Holocaust refugees (not even camp survivors, although with tremendous family loss), I’ve experienced the same, both emotionally and physically. And like so many, find myself having adapted by trying to help others. Yet, the self-work feels endless and often hopeless.
And third generation and unfortunately fourth generation too. My family ended up not knowing what love is and feeling disconnected from the body. I’ve worked hard to fix this and do better for my children, but then their dad walked out on us and it’s been hard not to repeat history.
At least I can teach them damage control and yes, my kids will be super resistant to anything live throws them.
Very interesting article. Thank you
Please explain a little more what epigenetic is
Thanks for the information, Great post.