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“Unlocking the Secrets of Epigenetics: How Our Experiences Shape Us!”

Have you ever wondered why some people react differently to stress or scary situations? The answer might be in something called epigenetics. Let’s explore what this big word means and how it helps us understand trauma.

What is Epigenetics?

Epigenetics is like a special switch for our genes. Our genes tell our body how to work, but epigenetics can turn these instructions on or off. It’s like a light switch that can make a room bright or dark, but the light bulb doesn’t change.

How Does Trauma Affect Our Genes?

When someone goes through something really scary or upsetting (we call this trauma), it can flip some of these epigenetic switches. This means that even after the scary thing is over, the person’s body might still act like it’s in danger.

Can Trauma be Passed Down?

Scientists have found that these switched genes can sometimes be passed from parents to their children. It’s a bit like inheriting your mom’s hair color, but instead, you might inherit how your body reacts to stress.

What is Trauma-Informed Care?

Trauma-informed care is when doctors, teachers, and other helpers understand that bad experiences can change how a person’s body and mind work. They use this knowledge to help people feel safe and get better.

How Does Epigenetics Help with Trauma-Informed Care?

By understanding epigenetics, helpers can:

  1. Know that a person’s reactions might be because of past experiences
  2. Find better ways to help people who have been through trauma
  3. Create plans that help not just one person but whole families

The Good News

The best part about epigenetics is that these switches can be changed again! With the right help and care, people can learn new ways to cope with stress and feel better.

What Can We Do?

  • Be kind to others – you never know what they’ve been through
  • Talk to a grown-up if you’re feeling scared or upset
  • Remember that it’s okay to ask for help

Epigenetics shows us that our experiences can change us, but we can help ourselves and others heal and grow stronger with understanding and care.

Citations:
[1] https://arkansasadvocate.com/2023/07/05/understanding-epigenetics-how-trauma-is-passed-on-through-our-family-members/
[2] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9705591/
[3] https://www.ca18211.eu/courses/trauma-informed-care-and-epigenetics/
[4] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6127768/
[5] https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-parents-rsquo-trauma-leaves-biological-traces-in-children/
[6] https://therapist.com/trauma/generational-trauma-epigenetics/
[7] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2797220
[8] https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2016/03/understanding-anxiety-disorders

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Born To Worry

I really can’t think of anyone who loves stress. Do you? A little stress is normal in life but it can range from positive, tolerable, or even toxic. When we suffer from toxic stress early in life it can effect how our genes express their programmed ability to manage it.

A new book on the subject of stress, called “Born Anxious: The Lifelong Impact of Early Life Adversity – and How to Break the Cycle, by Daniel P. Keating” reveals how and what happens when we are impacted by toxic stress.

bornanxious

The book discusses research on epigenetics which is the study of genetic expression and how it is altered by environmental events. Our genes are designed, by our DNA, to cope with certain levels of stress. Positive and tolerable stress can be managed by our stress programs. Toxic stress, experienced early in life, effects if our genetic programs actually get turned on or off.

Our bodies are designed to amp up or power down in reaction to the type and amount of stress we go through on a daily basis. For example, if we find ourselves facing an angry dog, our immediate reaction is to fight or flee in order to survive. If the dog runs off, we might continue to feel agitated for a short while after the encounter and then we will naturally calm back down. Our nervous system is designed to amp up to deal with the dog and then reset itself so that we can function normally again.

Children who have gone through chronic early life stress may have their normal genetic response to angry dogs or any perceived threat altered. If the genetic expression to stress stays continuously on, we move through life as if the dog is always in front of us. In the book, Born Anxious: The Lifelong Impact of Early Life Adversity – and How to Break the Cycle, Daniel P. Keating states the effects of early life stress makes individuals “born to worry.”

Some of the reasons for early life stress can come from internal sources, such as hunger, pain, illness, fatigue, and external sources, such as family conflict, divorce, poverty and natural disasters. Many children suffer from the toxic stress of prenatal substance exposure and parental neglect. This formative time can have prolonged effects on our feelings of safety and our genetic expressions of coping.

traumatraining

Looking for a speaker/consultant on Trauma-Informed Trainings? Talk with Ron Huxley…