Child abuse 'impacts stress gene'

I knew it changed the patterns in the brain, but they found it made genetic changes. There have been other studies that show our experiences in life make genetic changes. Kind of support the theory of evolution, huh?

More than that, we need to adjust our thinking about people's ability to "just get over it." If their genetics and their brain is changed, they can't. They can learn to cope with it, but not "just get over it."

My questions have to do with passing the changed genetics on to children. Do the children end up with the same reactions to relationships and stress?

Exactly, so what effects does it have on future generations?

Sure is a call to stop abuse, isn't it?

Well said.

I was the victim of child abuse. My mother -- who was my abuser -- was abused by her mother too. I've often wondered how far back it goes on my maternal line. I've thought of it as a learned pattern and counted myself as fortunate to have been born into a generation that has free access to knowledge about how to change the dysfunctional patterns.

Now I have to wonder how much of it is learned dysfunctional patterns and how much is changed genetics.

Of course, there's even more dysfunctional patterns in our society, like the abuse of women by men and the abuse of girls by boys. The macro and the micro are thoroughly intertwined.

Women are trying to throw off those patterns of abuse. Could that be why we seem to be becoming a more violent society (as compared to when I was young)? Could the need to keep the dysfunction going provoke this violence? If so, then is it learned or genetic?

As a feminist, I was hoping we'd have made more progress by now. Perhaps this helps explain why we haven't.

Interesting things to ruminate over.

Sure. You should always feel free to clip my articles to relevant groups.

Did you see this seed. It's the opposite side of the coin:

Child abuse 'impacts stress gene'