Science and Technology The G in generational trauma stands for genetics

By Justine Dela Cruz

Having unresolved grief, being somehow emotionally distant to your parents, possessing unhealthy coping mechanisms—if you manage to tick all the boxes, then you’re probably suffering from generational trauma.

You may deny it—which is also a classic symptom of harboring ancestral trauma— but science proves so, otherwise.

Blame it on genetics.

It could’ve been generational wealth, but instead, you’re stuck with the other kind.

While the youth seem to just laugh about unknowingly having it, almost as if it is a desensitized topic, there is a scientific explanation as to why pain and despondency is passed from parent to child.

Deep-seated trauma comes from many forms, such as domestic abuse, violence, natural disasters, and hate crimes. As a result, those who have experienced it tend to behave in a way that negatively affects those who surround them.

Epigenetics is the study of how environmental influences and factors affect gene activity. This does not alter the DNA sequence but it does control how the gene functions in the body. It is a direct contributor to how trauma is passed on from parents to their children, down to their children’s children.

Without the clinical intervention of a therapist or a mental health professional, the result of experiencing generational trauma is never actually talked about in the family.

The first reported clinical case of transgenerational trauma was reported by Vivian M. Rakoff in 1966. At the time, the then 38-year-old psychiatrist was working at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, Canada. A number of descendants of Holocaust survivors, including children and grandchildren, residing at the same area were noted as having significant amounts of psychological distress. Other researchers assessed that they also have anxiety, and depression.

Michael Skinner, a biologist specializing in epigenetics at Washington State University, has proved that trauma inheritance can be traced back to the epigenome. His study implies that the transformation of the epigenome, the chemical and biological alterations to DNA, can be passed down from generation to generation.

Moreover, trauma can also affect the microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells. According to Gayani Desilva, a child and adolescent psychiatry specialist, when a person is responding to trauma negatively, these cells eat away at the nerve endings.

"The microglia go haywire in the brain and cause depression, anxiety, and dementia. This can translate into genetic changes, which can be passed down to further generations,” Desilva added.

While there are only a fair amount of studies suggesting that epigenetics is the sole explanation for familial trauma, it is well-known that a huge ordeal can manipulate a person’s mental, emotional, and physical health. That being said, it makes sense that researchers believe that trauma can be bequeathed epigenetically.

The history and wonders of CGI

By Allysa Saldivar

The wonders of computerized graphics elevate as years go by. Computergenerated imagery (CGI) is one of the powers of technology—undeniably adopting what kind of media the world is living for. It seems incredible to see the emergence of films, video games, advertisements, and photography from how they actually work.

From greenscreens to impressive scene backgrounds, manipulated photos, how Spider-Man's suit features are enhanced, the realistic-looking disasters from the film San Andreas—these are the common concepts if someone brings up what CGI-loaded masterpieces are. But when exactly CGI started in the industry?

What does it mean, and what can it do in film and entertainment?

In a nutshell.

Today, in a simple context, CGI refers to the animation, special effects, and graphics people commonly see everywhere. It often works for threedimensional (3D) imaging or rendering, but it can also create two-dimensional (2D) works.

In films from the 1950s, mechanical computers were used in designing patterns. The first CGI film was Vertigo by Alfred Hitchcock in 1958, and it was 2D trickery. In 1972, Edwin Catmull made it in a 3D animation after creating 350 triangles and polygons; the short film was titled "A Computer Animated Hand" with Fred Parke.

The advancement of CGI was embodied in the long run, and it started gaining people's attention. In 1976, the outlines of CGI made a historical movie like "Futureworld", the world's first 3D animation.

In the 1980s, CGI escalated in giving colors and life on television.

Although it has been said that experiments were hard to push through, many works from crafts were still done. The first CGI music video was even created in 1985, titled, "Dire Straits: Money For Nothing.”

A huge improvement in this technology occurred during the 1990s. It started to create photorealistic and fully computer-generated films. This decade produced box office hits, such as Jurassic Park (1993), Toy Story (1995), Titanic (1997), and The Matrix (1999).

How does CGI work CGI/P2

Here’s to hoping for the best.

Generational trauma has no actual diagnosis, only the health conditions that result from it—clinical anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Nonetheless, it is acknowledged in the medical community.

In parenting, trauma is often disguised as the constant fear of acting like one’s own parents, overcompensation, and the unceasing need for the child to be academically successful. For children, symptoms include behavioral disorders, hyperarousal, and sleep disturbances, among others.

Although inherited trauma cannot be healed overnight, the disorders attributed to it can be aided to by means of substance treatment and intervention. Family members can also turn to trauma therapy and ask for the help of a psychologist. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy, which is used for patients suffering from PTSD, can be in the form of exposure therapy and cognitive reconstructing.

"When we process things and understand them, we can then often find coping mechanisms. When we find coping mechanisms, we can heal, and redefine ourselves. and reclaim a part of our life,” shared Melanie English, a clinical psychologist and parenting evaluator.

While there is no surefire way to stop generational trauma, working through one’s family problems is a start. It sure does require a huge amount of effort and encouragement, but stopping the cycle is the only way to care for yourself and the future generations to come.