News Childhood Trauma Leaves Its Mark On The Brain

[ms spock]

In spite of our genetics, we are all born a blank slate.

Actually researchers found that father rats that were traumatised and had that trauma linked to a sound had offspring that reacted with panic to the same sound without ever having seen their fathers have that reaction to the trauma and the sound.

So the panicked reaction to the traumatising sound was passed through the father's semen.

 

[rightkindofme]

so is marijuana legal and/proscribed for PTSD where you live?

Yup. I have a state approved medical card. Yay California.

 

[Survivor2Thriver]

Were you and your younger brother the 3rd and 4th child in the family?

Yes. My older siblings were abused as well. They took their rage out on us.

 

[Survivor2Thriver]

Actually researchers found that father rats that were traumatised by a sound had offspring that reacted with panic to the same sound without ever having seen their fathers have that reaction.

Perhaps the sound is traumatizing. Could you explain that further. I don't see the problem. Why wouldn't the offspring be traumatized by the same sound?

 

[ms spock]

Why wouldn't the offspring be traumatized by the same sound?

Because the father rats were traumatised by the sound. The offspring didn't see the father rats reaction or have any trauma reaction in relation to the sound, so the reaction came through the genetics in the sperm of the father rats.

The sound wasn't inherently traumatising to the father rats. It was what was done to them when the sound was being played that meant they associated the sound with trauma.

Yes. My older siblings were abused as well. They took their rage out on us.

That is not a pleasant experience.

My older siblings abused me and younger brother. We didn't turn out evil. Totally opposite. What's the difference?

Traditionally the older siblings get the brunt of the abuse. So you got the watered down version of the family dynamics, thought I bet it didn't feel like that.

 

[Survivor2Thriver]

you got the watered down version of the family dynamics,

No. You don't understand the dynamics in my family. They worked as a team. My siblings were brainwashed into helping/forcing me keep the God forsaken family secret. That's not how I roll. I stood my ground. They went to great lengths. Violent means. I grew up having to repeat after my mother. "I'm sorry I was born mommy." Needless to say I learned sarcasm early. I learned to separate their insanity. I also had to tell my brother "I'm sorry I was born." We were born in the same year. She "felt sorry for him. She claimed I robbed him of his childhood. Sick sick woman. She hated me for physically looking like my birth father. Her rage/wrath at my birth father was passed on to me. Sick woman. My sister was jealous I looked like my birth father. She hated me too. Her wrath was much more dangerous. She wanted to look like him. She was also the Golden child." Complete insanity. My sister was angry at my mother for "taking her birth father away." She went after me and my younger brother. She willingly had sex with my grandfather to get back at my mother. Her plan was to get pregnant. She did. My mother wasn't upset they were having sex. She knew that already. She was upset she was pregnant. She kept screaming "he would never give her a baby." To this day Im convinced my sisters father is my grandfathers. Irony. My mother is a narcissist. She couldn't have a pregnant teenage daughter. She couldn't risk taking her to a doctor. What would the neighbors think. She instructed my step father to punch her in the stomach until she miscarried. I tried to stop it.

Not a good idea...

 

[Survivor2Thriver]

I also tried to save my sister on another occasion. I was also trying to save myself. I didn't want to be next. I ended up in a bathtub. Blood everywhere and then thrown in the basement. we escaped. I hid her and ran for help. They tracked me down tried to kill me again then decided instead to kick me out to wander the streets for the police to find me. He kicked me in the butt laughing "they'll think she's crazy."

 

[Survivor2Thriver]

My grandpa was furious I brought a friend to the house. I broke a rule. Everyone bows to my grandpa. Except me. He wanted me and my sister to stab her 20 times. 10 each. He shoved me to my knees and the knife in my hand first. Afterall..it's my fault for bringing her there. I refused. First I said S.O.B as in OMG. He thought I called him a S.O.B. He grabbed me by the neck feet leave ground and said "You'll do it." I then called him a S.O.B and said you'll have to kill me. Thank God he's a coward. My grandma was screaming we have to protect the family secret. My sister was furious I "had ruined everything" she grabbed the knife and stabbed her. Stunned silence..everyone. My grandma said "she's a natural. My grandpa said she's a good girl. He was proud. My brother complained "Lisa didn't do it..Lisa didn't do it. Make her do it. Grandpa said that's ok she will give the final blow. It's her fault. They take my friend to the bathtub. She's passed out. He's furious blood is on the floor. He makes us clean it up.

I don't care about rats and genetics. We were faced with the same choices. Do you understand?

 

[rightkindofme]

@Survivor2Thriver I hear you that your life was really hard. I'm sorry.

 

[Abstract]

Survivortothriver, I am very sorry that that is how it was for you. You should be proud that there was something in you that rejected wrong and fought for right. Even at the expense of your safety. I hope your friend survived. You should be very proud that something in you means you chose good and not evil.

Interestingly I have had much more violence and trauma than my siblings and yet am the least violent or aggressive one and by far the most traumatised.

 

[Abstract]

I found the original paper here: Link Removed

I wonder if rats too react to repeated trauma in choice ways as humans do. In other words some favouring fight and others favouring freeze (dissociation). I somehow can't imagine a chronically dissociated rat.

 

[Survivor2Thriver]

Survivortothriver, I am very sorry that that is how it was for you. You should be proud that there was something in you that rejected wrong and fought for right. Even at the expense of your safety. I hope your friend survived. You should be very proud that something in you means you chose good and not evil.

Thank you. Presently that's keeping me sane. What else can you hold on to?

Interestingly I have had much more violence and trauma than my siblings and yet am the least violent or aggressive one and by far the most traumatised.

Yes! That's what I'm talking about! Thank you! We know how it feels. We feel. We understand our emotions. We have a conscience. Violent ppl can't control their emotions. I've been reading about the hippocampus and amygdala. It appears to contradict good/evil.