Epigenetics - Your life experience and trauma won't stop with you....

"If our life is a dynamic movie, then we are the writers of our own script."

As cliché it might sound, the deeper fact it holds. Being a graduate in biochemistry, I fancy the very atmosphere that is around me, and I believe there are always chemical explanations for this nature.

The most empowering phenomenon is that we as human beings own the control of how our genes can be just like adding, removing, replacing the odd characters, or reversing the script.    

Epigenetics says the decisions we make, the lifestyle we follow, the environment we live in, the food we eat, the trauma we experience, and almost everything we do now is clearly being monitored by this DNA dude to inevitably pass it on to our following generation and also accounting our long-term longevity.

As it's known, DNA and genes represent two distinct things from my earlier blog post "It's your gene". Genetics and Epigenetics are also two distinctive things.

On the biological side, genetics carries our traits from our earlier generations, but epigenetics explains how the environment and behaviors control our genes without altering our DNA sequence. More precisely, they are responsible for how much a particular trait in our gene can be expressed.

"Genetics loads the gun, but epigenetics pulls the trigger."

How does it work?

The epigenomes [Epi-on, genome-collection of all the identified genes in our body] are chemical tags that attach to our DNA which can turn on and off the gene. This process can be called DNA methylation.

The other process in common is histone modification where our DNA wraps around specific proteins called histones. These epigenome tags along with the histones and tells whether to compress or decompress the DNA. When compressed, the genes are not expressed, and when decompressed, the genes will be expressed.

Genetics says, "Poor people are poor because of their bad genes, but epigenetics says, "Poor people are poor because of the poor-quality environment they live in."

On this note, it has constantly been advised to the pregnant women to carry out all the appropriate things for a healthy baby. The nurturing she receives, the surroundings she lives in, her everyday practices pass as chemical signals to her growing baby and lays down epigenetic marks on the DNA. This specific signal naturally tells the baby about the social life it is typically going to live.

For example: If the environment is peaceful, the signals are "Happy and peace."

If it is poverty and no food, the signals are "Binge and munch every piece of food you see"

Even though these signals sent are preparations to protect and support the baby from the poverty-environment that is going to live in, it might turn out maladaptive in the future.

Soon after the environment turns out normal for the grown-up baby or even when it receives good food, the same gene from the mother that is prepared to protect the child from hunger and poverty causes obesity, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic diseases to the child in the future.

On the contrary, the emotional trauma of the previous generation, the terrible choices they unknowingly made as an adult interprets a severe impact on shaping our complex genome. This is fittingly said as,

"The trauma not transformed is the trauma transferred."

In 2015, a DNA study was conducted on Holocaust survivors who experienced extreme tortures and horrific traumas in the Nazi camps during World War II. The study shows the children of Holocaust survivors suffered higher risks of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, etc.

Even though these epigenetic marks erase when sperm and egg cells form, it has been discovered that some of the imprints remain when investigating the four generations [great-grandchildren] of Holocaust survivors.

The generations of unhealed trauma, the storytelling of sufferings can manifest the physical and psychological aspects of the future children making them vulnerable to fear, negative self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses.

But the trauma doesn't necessarily have to change for the negative. As the lessons are already learned, it gives a great sense of awareness for making the right choice to overcome any hardships.

"If the trauma can change the DNA, then healing can transform it too. 

We can reprogram and end the things that didn't start with us."

How to reprogram that was programmed?

In my own experience as a young adult, I have a few of my friends addicted to drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes. These things usually start with a fun-size first-time experience. When they take the drug, nothing happens the first time. Months later, when reminded about the party and lights they start craving the party drugs and eventually get addicted. From then their life changes.

Epigenetically, it has been proven that after the first time of no addiction period, their epigenome can possibly rearrange and remark differently. But soon after the addiction kicks in, their genome is ready to develop the addictive phenotype.

To properly remove the science of experience, epigenetic drugs that typically decrease the epigenetic markers represent the most superior approach in the advancing future not only to reprogram the addiction but also has tremendous abilities to encounter some of the deadly diseases like cancer, mental health issues, etc.

However, researchers are still beginning to understand the complex mechanisms of epigenetics.   

"We can in fact use epigenetics to make some epicgenetics"

If you are following this now and dismaying your parents and grandparents for their life choices, here is a possible thing—just like reversing the movie by eliminating odd characters and setting up a new narrative, epigenetics can also be reversed by following a balanced lifestyle, healthy eating, mindful exercise routine, and definitely some healing from our past or current traumas.

So let's make use of this exclusive privilege to set up a beautiful narration for our life story by positively influencing our genes and stamping out toxicity as much not only for our long-term wellbeing but also to choose what we are extending to pass on to the next generation.

"DNA is not destiny, but our life choices are!"