Comments on: Childhood Abuse a Major Factor in Adult Illnesses

By: Marian

Marian — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:45:55 +0000

Oh, then maybe someone among the other readers of Doug’s blog may find it interesting.

By: Gina Pera

Gina Pera — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:10:31 +0000

I’m very familiar with epigenetics, and have been for the past decade. I didn’t have to “Google” it. I’ve attended lectures by preeminent scientists who are experts in the field.

And I’m also familiar with the inappropriateness of labeling what another person is or is not “fond of,” based on scant evidence and willfully ignoring qualifying words the person has used (such as “sometimes”).

By: Gina Pera

Gina Pera — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:06:15 +0000

I’m very familiar with epigenetics. And I’m also familiar with the inappropriateness of labeling, based on scant evidence, what other people are fond or not fond of.

By: Marian

Marian — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:52:49 +0000

Gina Pera: Now that you’re so fond of biological (genetic) determinism, I suggest you read a bit up on epigenetics (just google it). Interesting stuff!

By: Gina Pera

Gina Pera — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:24:34 +0000

Yes, enough with the expensive imaging centers! Not to mention lab reports that too many docs don’t even know how to read (but depend on the lab to tell them what’s “normal”).

I still say we need plenty of caution in this area, though, so that we don’t confuse association with causation.

Until these studies control for the presence in the parents of highly heritable forms of mental illness (which are themselves associated with high rates of drug abuse, obesity, asthma, etc.), we risk going back to “dysfunctional childhood” as the cause of all human misery. And that would be a giant step backwards.

The fact is, sometimes apples just don’t fall far from the tree.