You often hear and we often say, “The body remembers,” “Memories are held even on the cellular level,” or “Experience is lives in and influences the body’s tissues.”  Ok, this can sound like hokey hippy-crap, but it’s true.  Now there’s scientific evidence that specific genetic patterns show up in an individuals who have suffered childhood abuse.  Here’s a link to the article, PTSD research: distinct gene activity patterns from childhood abuse.  Please do read it! Only a quick summary and it’s fascinating.  You will learn valuable information about how our bodies (in one aspect) respond to traumatic experiences and how this information can lead to the possibilities for more effective treatments for disorders like PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).  At the very least you’ll have something interesting to say at the next cocktail party.

Our favorite snippet:

The PTSD with child abuse group displayed more changes in genes linked with development of the nervous system and regulation of the immune system, while the PTSD minus child abuse group displayed more changes in genes linked with apoptosis (cell death) and growth rate regulation. In addition, changes in methylation were more frequent in the PTSD with child abuse group.  The authors believe that these biological pathways may lead to different mechanisms of PTSD symptom formation within the brain.