Cherry Blossoms, Epigenetics, & the Intergenerational Effects of Trauma

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Shawna: 00:00

Are you noticing a change of the seasons outside? This episode of The Grit Show is making it into the world as the calendar tells us it is officially spring. Well, at least in the United States. though, as many of us look out our window, mother nature may not be in agreement. Today we are revisiting the sixth episode of this podcast that released over six months ago, and a conversation centered around cherry blossoms, epigenetics, and the way trauma can show up in ways and for generations beyond what you might expect.

Shawna: 00:35

Since it's spring and the cherry blossoms are emerging in many communities, it's possible it may stick with you in a new way, Even if you have heard this research and this episode many moons ago.

Shawna: 00:47

Welcome to The Grit Show, growth on purpose; growing together as seekers and thrivers. I'm grateful you found us.

Shawna: 00:56

I'm your host, Shawna Rodrigues, and today is a shorter solo episode where I get you all to myself.

Shawna: 01:03

Next week, we'll do a throwback episode in an interview format with a typical conversation around self-care and actionable items you can apply to your world. At the end of this episode, you'll also get to hear a bit about two other podcasts. I am My Passion project and The Fire Inside Her. So, if you have a little more time, I encourage you after listening to this short episode, to go check those out. There will be a link in the show notes, so it'll be easy-peasy. Now for our conversation around Cherry Blossoms.

Shawna: 01:34

The science of epigenetics and the inheritable intergenerational effects of trauma, is young. Which means it is still generating debate. The process of epigenetics is where the readability or expression of genes is modified without changing the DNA code itself.

Shawna: 01:51

Epigenetics isn't specific to trauma.

Shawna: 01:54

A study that came out when I was starting to pay attention to epigenetics was around cherry blossoms. It was a study around male mice. They were exposed to a traumatic event, having their foot zapped with an electrical current. At the same time, they were exposed to the scent of cherry blossoms.

Shawna: 02:13

Because this experiment was done with animals. They wanted to be sure that they corrected for all the components that were harder to look at when looking at human experiments. So they used IVF to impregnate the female mice. They were never in contact with the males who had been exposed to the traumatic event and the cherry blossom scent. Therefore, assuring that there's no socialization or environmental component to their relationship. They also had the pups raised by other mice. They found not only in the first generation, but also in the second generation, the grandpup's of the mice, who'd been exposed to both the cherry blossom and the traumatic event that they had a heightened sensitivity to the scent of the cherry blossoms.

Shawna: 02:57

There's influence on both the structure and function of the nervous system of subsequent generations. And neither of the generations showed a greater sensitivity to smells other than cherry blossom. Indicating that the inheritance is specific to that scent. There's also epigenetic markers. On the sperm of both generations of males that could be the basis for this inheritance.

Shawna: 03:20

The study was important on multiple levels. Because it was able to correct for so many factors that have been question marks previously. But also because the exposure to the trauma was to males. And it was before the kids were ever in the picture.

Shawna: 03:37

Much of the widespread study of epigenetics and trauma with humans is retrospectively looking at widespread trauma and the effects on in-utero children and what happened later in their lives.

Shawna: 03:54

In September of: 1944

Shawna: 04:21

In retrospect, scientists published research, looking at the Dutch hunger winter. And the effect on those unborn children. They found that those who had been in utero during the famine reached middle age, they had higher LDL, bad cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. They also suffered higher rates of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and schizophrenia. And when the scientists looked at why they found these children carried a specific chemical mark. An epigenetic signature on one of their genes.

Shawna: 04:57

There's similar questions around the Irish potato famine and the potential correlation with higher incidents of mental illness and other health concerns.

Shawna: 05:03

achel Yehuda also conducted a: 2015

Shawna: 05:25

There are worries based on this and other research. That this may create a narrative, that one generation's trauma may permanently scar future generations.

Shawna: 05:33

Which is one way to look at this.

Shawna: 05:35

However, the way that I've always seen this since I first started to learn about epigenetics is the great awareness that this gives us. That there is so much that we do not know.

Shawna: 05:47

So much we do not know about each individual around us. And their stories. And the stories of the generations that came before them. So much, we don't even know about our own stories.

Shawna: 06:00

For me, learning about these studies and others, learning about the potential effect of the scent of cherry blossoms and putting them on my logo, is a reminder that there are things that can haunt us. From generations before us. That we are not able to put our finger on.

Shawna: 06:19

In my previous work I visited the homes of children and families and sat in classrooms with young children. Trying to help support children, whose behaviors they didn't quite understand. We can't always know what's happened yesterday, last week, last month, while the child was in utero, what happened two generations ago to a specific family.

Shawna: 06:46

But all of those things can leave a faint scent that can have an effect that we can't see. So it just leaves more room to have an immense amount of patience, empathy, and understanding for things that we can't know.

Shawna: 07:01

To leave room for the validation of experiences. We can have a really bad day and not understand where it's coming from. We could have two generations ago a scent of cherry blossom rising up in our week.

Shawna: 07:19

That we can't understand where it's coming from. We have no knowledge of how that might be sewn in as a genetic marker. Sewn into our history in ways we can't see or can't tell. And we just need to respond to how we're feeling.

Shawna: 07:35

And be gentle with that.

Shawna: 07:37

We need to legitimize how someone in our life is feeling when they're having that bad day. And they don't know why. When a child is falling apart at the seams and they don't understand why.

Shawna: 07:48

We have to leave space for things we can't understand.

Shawna: 07:52

And that it's okay to have emotions that we can't explain. And then we have to sit with those and work with those and have patience with those and that's why self-care becomes so important. And being in this moment And not just pushing through but trying to work with those emotions. Experiences emotions and getting to the other side of those emotions because they're legitimate even if we don't know where they're coming from and why they're happening and what they're about. I know that personally one of the times that I had a really rough time That once I decoded it, I realized it was an anniversary of something or it was the first time I'd gone through something since I'd lost someone. And sometimes you can untangle the threads and figure out why you're having such a hard time. And other days there are just days where you just are having a hard time and you don't know why. And for all you know it could be the scent cherry blossoms in the air that's related to something that happened two generations ago that you do not know anything about and may not know anything about. So instead of pushing through and push yourself until you break. You just needed to step back and give yourself that space And take care of yourself when that happens. And give room for your kids, give room for your partner, give room for that person at the desk next to yours. Give room for the person behind you in line at the supermarket, give room to the people around you-that they're battling ghosts they don't even know exist. They're battling scents that they'd never even experienced. And we all need that grace and we all need that space for those things. So for me that's the lesson in this. That's the reason why I keep in mind the cherry blossoms.

Shawna: 09:38

I keep in mind that something beautiful, something amazing for me can be something that's triggering for someone else. And they don't even know why it's a trigger And to always be patient with that and know, I can't always know why it's a trigger for them but when I see someone's triggered to just give them the space cause they might not even know why they're triggered. For me, that's the lesson in epigenetics and that's the lesson in the cherry blossom.

Shawna: 10:02

te i did find an article from: 2019

So with proper treatment, we are able to eliminate the effect on future generations. Which is what I ultimately hope for all of us. So if you have Traumatic events that have occurred to you and things that are associated and tangled up with that- that are then Triggers for you. Know that those are triggers that you can be desensitized to and you can get to the other side. It's great to know that treatment does work and that those things do dissipate and that there is something that can be done to combat this.

Shawna: 11:32

That is a positive note. In the meantime I'm going to keep the lesson I've always gotten- We can't always know where things come from. And we need to honor what we and others are experiencing and be in the moment and work to move to the other side.

Shawna: 11:47

Thank you for spending time with me today If you haven't already- get on over to Instagram and follow us @The.Grit.Show. And then visit our website www.TheGritShow.com to join our mailing list. I look forward to being with you again on Tuesday. Until then take good care of yourself. And in case I haven't said it often enough- You are the only one of you that this world has got And that really does mean something.