Can Trauma Be Inherited?

Trauma doesn't just affect the person who originally experienced it. It can also be passed down to their children and grandchildren.

Hosted by: Hank Green
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[dabzvapelord]

'a risk factor isn't an equal sign' is a powerful and hope giving statement

[AiriinSuki]

My mom was abused as a child and her parents aren't good people. She got depressed and stressed. I didn't knew until recently that abuse happend. I always wondered why me and my twin sister were always scared of everything and stressed really fast. Now I know why and I am angry at my grandparents. I feel sad for my mom and I work to change myself a lot. The stress and scares have gone down a lot. I vowed to change myself to make sure my childeren won't have to be so stressed and scared as I was.

[ryanliberty]

Thank you for doing this episode. It's important for people to know. Something else that research has some tenuous proof for but needs more investigating into is the link between trauma and personality disorders. An abusive parent may traumatize a child, making them susceptible to a personality disorder while also neglecting to teach them emotional regulation skills and how to properly bond (attach) with people and have healthy boundaries. That person then might grow up with a personality disorder. If untreated they may abuse their kids and the cycle continues (in fact, their parent may have been abused similarly, passing down habits and personality disorders through environmental factors i.e. abuse). I hope that more research is done into this so that we can have more conclusive answers.

[manchild.]

For children descended from slaves (African American/Caribbean) this is a stark reality. After hundreds of years of legal slavery, followed by Jim Crow and other forms of violent and non violent oppression, the stories passed down through generations and the psychological scars that sometimes manifest in child rearing strategies and interpersonal relationships have a lasting effect that can seemingly only be broken by addressing the trauma through psychological therapies. For many, that's not financially viable not least because of a racist and elitist economic environment.

Understanding the history of law enforcement in America, isn't it clear why generational fear and animosity persists to this day among the black community and why the police force is hostile toward them?

[Khepriem]

My dad used to be an adventurer, but then he took an arrow in the knee... and I've never been an adventurer! *_CONFIRMED!_*

[ethanjames]

At least 5 generations back in my family (including myself) have had severe depression

[dreamgirlgina]

Both my parents were residential school survivors but I wasn't told things til I was in my 20's because they wouldn't talk about it but I had severe health issues growing up deep depression, cutting, eating disorders etc and was physically and mentally abused by my dad and neglected by my mother who had a gambling problem, dad would leave a lot to go drinking...years later I became addicted to pills after watching my mother die of gangrene and was in a horrifically abusive relationship but got 3 beautiful children who I lost due to addiction. I've been sober 6 years this October and got my babies home and been in and out of counseling and therapy for 6 years. Looking back I never had a chance as my therapist says BUT MY BABIES WILL! Breaking INTERGENERATIONAL trauma is so damn hard BUT POSSIBLE but it will be a lifetime of work and the results will be generation changing! Anyone who has dealt with neglect, abuse of any kind as a child can have a wonderful life but unfortunately we the children have to do alot of work

[celinak]

Yep, it's called ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and most addicts have about 2-4.

[berryberrykixx]

Well I already knew being bipolar was passed down in my family. Nice to know that my extreme anxiety and PTSD is likely passed down to me as well. I'm glad the line of trauma ends with me (no kids).

[soogymoogi]

This video might as well be titled "why I shouldn't have kids."

[NewMessage]

Seeing as we already know that gene expression is triggered by environment, it makes perfect sense that a sensitivity to danger would be strengthened in subsequent generations. Behavioral evolution in action. The genes, and the amygdala, can't be expected to know that a hyper response isn't needed anymore. In time you'd expect the genes to shut down again, unless they continue to be stimulated to keep themselves 'turned on'. But the generation in question will always be hyper sensitive to that kinda stress, sadly. Well... until we find better treatments.

[doubleplusgoodful]

This is a phenomenon seen among aboriginal & indigenous peoples in some colonised lands. There’ve been some studies among Canadian Aboriginal people, and there is recognition of Intergenerational Trauma in both Canadian and Australian Aboriginal peoples.

[nicolethompson]

Do you think this could explain the "angry black person" myth? After 400+ years of slavery, 60 years of Jim Crow and the continuation of discrimination, perhaps all the trauma, ptsd, and lack of adequate health services (mental or otherwise) express themselves in different ways. Something to think about.

[MsStaceysclass]

Thank you for educating your audience about the processes of science as well as the findings. I wish all science journalism would include things like uncertainty and problems with studies and that more testing is needed, etc.

[Kobolds_in_a_trenchcoat]

wouldn't it be easier to test trauma using a group of soldiers with ptsd with living parents and children? that way you could look back before the ptsd would have occurred and see if any genes were changed post-trauma. Bonus: you get a large possible sample size since theres not really a shortage of ex-soldiers and surely a decent amount still have living parents.

[pdreding]

Does this mean someone actually CAN punch someone so hard that their kids will feel it? Well, possibly.

[Master_Therion]

My friend's parents were refugees from a war-torn country. They immigrated with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. My friend inherited his dad's "war torn jeans."
Is that epigenetics or epiJEANetics?

[patrickb]

What's infuriating is the the whole 'Not much evidence/research' statement. That's because healthy people do not make the pharmaceutical/medical industry money, not because it's not worth pursuing, it's just not worth pursuing from a business standpoint. I'd recommend reading 'Becoming Supernatural' by Dr. Joe Dispenza. There's a section in chapter 2 about IgA, cortisol & epigenetics.

[rigrentals]

As a current general chemistry student, I found this video awesome. More chemistry please.

[NancyLebovitz]

I don't think trauma passed on by genes and trauma passed on by telling traumatic stories exhaust the possibilities-- there's also trauma passed on because the parents' habitual responses could be angry, frightened, and/or knocked out, and these can be imitated by or affect the children.