Streetheart Serenade: Epigenetics and the matter of homelessness
Could epigenetics play a role in the whole matter of homelessness? Please offer your opinion, and a little support for such an opinion in the comments section below.
Then head over to this blog and listen to the new Dr BLT/Dave Howe duet.
Duet
After listening to the duet, offer suggestions in terms of how the heart and the head could work together to produce solutions to the issue of homelessness. Could it be possible for epigenetics to one day play a role in the eradication of homelessness? Offer a modicum of support for your answer.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Epigenetics could play a role in the problem of homelessness, but overall no because one's own DNA is their destiny. Granted epigentics can play a role on our decendents physical and mental health. "The studies by Pembrey and other epigenetics researchers suggest that our diet, behavior, and environmental surroundings today could have a far greater impact than imagined on the health of our distant descendants." Since most of homeless people in the world have some kind of mental issues then epigenetics does play a role in the problem of homelessness. However, one's DNA does not define one's destiny because all people have free will.
http://discovermagazine.com/2006/nov/cover/article_view?b_start:int=3&-C
Reply to this
Cathy Lazarus/Cognitive Psychology/Streetheart Serenade
Epigenetics could play a very important role in the matter of homelessness especially, for future generations. I’ve read that compromises to the physical and psychological development of the brain begin in the womb. Illness of the mother during pregnancy due to malnourishment, drugs, or just the complications associated with pregnancy, can affect offspring. I theorize that this would hold true for the sperm of the father as well.
The homeless lack the basic needs of survival including nourishing food, shelter, and access to good healthcare. Unable to take proper care of themselves, could detrimentally affect their future children. Once their children’s health has been compromised, and without the necessary supportive recourses to combat the negative affects of being born and raised in a homeless environment, these children may not be able to overcome the risk factors of perpetuating a homeless legacy.
Streetheart Serenade
I believe the homeless situation could be improved in the future if more people were empathetic to the plight of the homeless population. If more were concerned with why these people are homeless in the first place, perhaps they would be more understanding and agreeable to helping improve the homeless environment.
As the words sung by Dr. BLT, “a tunnel with a distant light”, infer, a kind gesture could give a homeless person hope; hope that others care that they are cold and hungry. There are many generous people, as evidenced by the outpouring of support to the people of Haiti, devastated by the recent earthquake, but more needs to be done here in the United States, especially here in Los Angeles, in order to change that “tear in the eye” to a glint of hope.
If we could all offer a small contribution of our abundant resources, whether it be volunteer time, money, food, clothing, or shelter, as in the exemplary example set by Dr. BLT and others, it would go a long way in giving reassurance to those in need that there are those who care about the welfare of the homeless, want to help, and that there will, someday, be an end to the current pain and suffering. Our help now could not only have a beneficial affect in immediate relief, but may affect the future of these individual’s offspring as well.
When we open our hearts to others, the neurobiological affects to our own emotions are overwhelming. The act of giving releases neurochemicals within our limbic system, giving us a sense of well-being, satisfaction, and contentment that we have acted in a moral and positive way by offering protective factors within our environment that may contribute to the elimination of some of the risk factors having a potential effect on the future of those who are now homelessness and their heirs.
Giving of our hearts fills us with emotions that propel us to continue to give; a spiritual and biological reward system that perpetuates good deeds. This momentum of giving and s
Reply to this
spiritual and biological reward system that perpetuates good deeds. This momentum of giving and sharing with others could be the driving force in changing the future devoid of a homeless population. However, giving must be “pure of heart” with no expectation of benefit to oneself, but something phenomenal happens within our psyche when we give. Try it and see for yourself.
Reply to this
Theoretically, epigenetics could play a role in the matter of homelessness. This is because genetic factors are believed to contribute to mental illness and substance abuse,and those individuals who suffer from these afflictions are at an increased risk for homelessness.
Schizophrenia, for example,is a complex mental illness. Even experts in the field are not sure what causes it. Some doctors think that the brain may not be able to process information correctly, but genetic factors appear to play a role. People who have family members with schizophrenia may be more likely to get the disease themselves (ADAM, 2007). In theory, this could be due to do epigenetic factors that are expressing themselves throughout several generations.
Substance abuse, often as a result of or in congruence with a mental disorder, is also frequently associated with homelessness. Like schizophrenia, drug and alcohol abuse tend to run in families. Yes, this is often the result of learned social behavior, but there are also believed to be genetic factors involved.
Everyone has access to addictive substances. Not everyone who has an opportunity to use an addictive substance does so, and not everyone who uses an addictive substance becomes addicted. Sixty-three percent of individuals 12 years of age or older report never using illicit drugs or psychotherapeutics, 29% never use cigarettes, and 17% never use alcohol (1992 National Household Survey; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 1993). Sixty-five percent of individuals reporting access to marijuana use the substance, while only 16% of those having access to heroin report use. Observations such as these suggest that genetic and environmental conditions that differentially predispose individuals to drug-taking behavior and to the transition from drug-taking behavior to established and maintained drug abuse might be found.(National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1991).
Extensive family study work that utilizes twins who have been separated by adoption now supports enhanced frequencies of drug abuse in families.Several conclusions concerning the familial nature of drug abuse now seem reasonably well supported by this accumulated family study data. The first is that genetic factors likely play a role in the substance of choice (although this could also be affected by popular societal trends. Genetics also seem to play a factor in the sensation seeking personality traits that are more likely to turn to substance abuse. Genetics can even contribute substance abuse by minimizing protective factors such as hangovers (Uhl, Elmer, LaBuda, & Pickens, 2010). Where genetics are a believed influence over some area of behavior, there is also reason to think epigenetics may be involved, as the expression of said genes.
http://www.acnp.org/g4/GN401000174/CH170.html
https://health.google.com/health/ref/Schizophre
Reply to this
Epigenetics could play a vital role in deterring homelessness by warding off unwanted mental illnesses (i.e. schizophrenia, depression), and drug addiction. There are several reasons why people become homeless, with some of the most prominent reasons being mental illness and drug addiction.
A recent study conducted by The Brain Institute at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, revealed that scientists have found a mechanism in the brain that helps explain why cocaine is so addictive and could pave the way towards a potential cure, a study shows. The article states the following: Researchers revealed how the highly addictive drug brings on changes in the brain through a process that influences the expression of genes without changing the brain's gene sequence. These changes in the brain's pleasure circuits, which are also the first to be influenced by chronic cocaine exposure, appear to promote cravings for cocaine, said the study published in Science.
"This fundamental discovery advances our understanding of how cocaine addiction works," said Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse.
"Although more research will be required, these findings have identified a key new player in the molecular cascade triggered by repeated cocaine exposure, and thus a potential novel target for the development of addiction medications."
The research was carried out on mice. One group was given repeated doses of cocaine, the second was given a saline solution with a final dose of the drug to study what differences there were between repeated cocaine exposure and a one-time dose. Those mice repeatedly given cocaine displayed dramatic alterations in their gene expression as well as a strong preference for the drug. The study confirmed cocaine appears to block an enzyme that plays a critical role in the so-called "epigenetic" control of gene expression. The study authors also showed that by reversing the repression of the enzyme, known as G9a, they could inhibit cravings for cocaine.
"The more complete picture that we have today of the genetic and epigenetic processes triggered by chronic cocaine give us a better understanding of the broader principles governing biochemical regulation in the brain," said Eric Nestler, director of the Brain Institute at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. That could "help us identify not only additional pathways involved but potentially new therapeutic approaches", he added.
http://www.acmhn.org/news-a-events/in-the-media.html
Reply to this
Epigenetics could play a vital role in deterring homelessness by warding off unwanted mental illnesses (i.e. schizophrenia, depression), and drug addiction. There are several reasons why people become homeless, with some of the most prominent reasons being mental illness and drug addiction.
A recent study conducted by The Brain Institute at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, revealed that scientists have found a mechanism in the brain that helps explain why cocaine is so addictive and could pave the way towards a potential cure, a study shows. The article states the following: Researchers revealed how the highly addictive drug brings on changes in the brain through a process that influences the expression of genes without changing the brain's gene sequence. These changes in the brain's pleasure circuits, which are also the first to be influenced by chronic cocaine exposure, appear to promote cravings for cocaine, said the study published in Science.
"This fundamental discovery advances our understanding of how cocaine addiction works," said Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse.
"Although more research will be required, these findings have identified a key new player in the molecular cascade triggered by repeated cocaine exposure, and thus a potential novel target for the development of addiction medications."
The research was carried out on mice. One group was given repeated doses of cocaine, the second was given a saline solution with a final dose of the drug to study what differences there were between repeated cocaine exposure and a one-time dose. Those mice repeatedly given cocaine displayed dramatic alterations in their gene expression as well as a strong preference for the drug. The study confirmed cocaine appears to block an enzyme that plays a critical role in the so-called "epigenetic" control of gene expression. The study authors also showed that by reversing the repression of the enzyme, known as G9a, they could inhibit cravings for cocaine.
"The more complete picture that we have today of the genetic and epigenetic processes triggered by chronic cocaine give us a better understanding of the broader principles governing biochemical regulation in the brain," said Eric Nestler, director of the Brain Institute at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. That could "help us identify not only additional pathways involved but potentially new therapeutic approaches", he added.
http://www.acmhn.org/news-a-events/in-the-media.html
Reply to this
When I first read over this question my first initial thought was that homelessness has nothing to do with epigenetics but rather has to do with the individual person. However, as I began to do some research on homelessness and why people become homeless, in some cases, epigenetics plays a huge part in why people can become homeless. For instance, some can become homeless due to substance abuse, developmental disorders and mental illness, sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, in addition to parental ideology (for example, when parents do not agree with sexual orientation, beliefs, and/or behaviors).
Substance abuse, developmental disorders, mental illness, sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, as well as parental ideology all can come from epigenetics. They are all issues that can be passed down from generation to generation, due to epigenetics. As stated in Time Magazine’s article entitled Why Your DNA Isn’t Your Destiny, by John Cloud, he states, “We all know that you can truncate your own life if you smoke or overeat, but it's becoming clear that those same bad behaviors can also predispose your kids — before they are even conceived — to disease and early death.” Homelessness is not something that teens and adult aspire to be but in many cases they many cannot help if have an addictive personality as to spending money and/or using drugs and alcohol, and they cannot help if they were abused in one way or another and do not know how to take care of themselves or be able to stand on their own two feet. So, epigenetics may not actually cause homelessness but other leading issues can eventually lead into a person becoming homeless.
There are already many different ways of how to help others who are homeless. There are many organizations, volunteer programs, and donation cites. I believe that there is no way to completely eliminate homelessness through epigenetics because there are some issues related with or that leads up homelessness, that will never be resolved entirely. Unfortunately, yes, but while the thought of epigenetics curing homelessness is nice in theory, I believe that it is not possible. Why is this? Because there will always be people with a drug/alcohol problem, people with developmental disorders, and mental illness, those who have been sexually, physically, and emotionally abused where they are stuck and will turn into the streets. There are also those who are lazy and have a poor work ethic, maybe due to their epigenetics, who do not care enough to make a living a for themselves so they decided to just live on the streets. There will always be those people who are burdened with financial problems, who lose their job and have to live in their car. For all these reasons, homelessness is something that will be a continuous issue; I really do not feel that it is an issue that can be solved solely through epigenetics.
Reply to this
The question of whether or not epigenetics might be a possible factor linked with homelessness has been a challenge for me to answer. After doing more research about this new area of interest within the field of science, I now consider that there is a strong chance that epigenetics could be associated with homelessness, primarily based on the notion of epigenetic inheritance. I understand the basic idea is that environmental exposures, lifestyle, and experiences of an individual can affect future generations, so I would think that homelessness is a relevant example that provides some support for this concept. Take into consideration that environmental molecules, specifically methyl groups, can quite possibly change the formation of DNA through DNA methylation; morever, DNA methylation has been known to result in certain genes being switched on or off, which influences the overall genetic makeup (Coila, 2009). Individuals who are homeless experience and are exposed to greater adversity within their environment that might indeed affect future generations. Examples of the harsher environment, lifestyle, and experiences of individuals who are homeless may involve poverty, lack of stability and financial support, poor nutrition and health care, stress, addictions (e.g. alcohol), or mental illness (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2009). Ultimately, the basic needs such as food and shelter are not met for people that are homeless. In the case of homelessness, I think that future generations would be affected by the inadequate health care, family history of mental illness, and/or addictions. Also, I think that the matter of homelessness does not indicate that future generations are going to endure the same exact condition; especially being homeless themselves, but their well-being might be affected in some way. Epigenetics is connected with homelessness because the patterns of parental lifestyles and environmental exposures can somewhat impact the functioning of children.
Coila, B. (2009). What is epigenetics? An easy explanation of epigenetics and DNA. http://humangenetics.suite101.com/article.cfm/what_is_epigenetics
National Coalition for the Homeless, July 2009. http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/why.html
Reply to this
(Part 2-Streetheart Serenade)
After listening to the Dr. BLT and Dave Howe duet, I found this song to be inspirational with uplifting lyrics. This streetheart serenade was a beautiful example of how not to forget those that are homeless as well as the struggles that they encounter and endure each day. In order to help those that are homeless, a greater support and involvement from the community is needed. Perspective taking and empathy are two elements that I feel are important to this matter in helping those that are less fortunate, which may include volunteering at the local homeless shelters and other related organizations. However, I think that by increasing the awareness of homelessness, more individuals will realize the challenges that are present; moreover, the greater awareness might hopefully lead to more effective solutions, such as brainstorming ideas on how to provide adequate living arrangements, nutrition, healthcare, etc. Lastly, I’m not sure how epigenetics could be a component that eliminates homelessness. Maybe epigenetics could help in better understanding the actual environment and living conditions that may represent a type of pattern for individuals that are homeless. More research is definitely needed regarding this issue.
Reply to this
Homelessness and Epigenetic Possibilities- PPP 732-Laura Vahle-February 13, 2010
One could compare homelessness with the Swedish article about the drought and lack of food and how that created a habit of overeating and probably find similarities between people who went through homelessness and survived the Great Depression and then raised a generation of children who had problems with debt. The articles that I have read require a background in cellular biology
Looking at the generation of homeless people one would want to take a survey and find out what their childhoods were like. Did some of them grow up in rich families, was homelessness a form of cognitive dissonance for the prosperity that their parents enjoyed and to a lifestyle their children did not feel entitled? Were some parents unwilling to tolerate their children’s alcoholism and drug addiction within the family environment because they were building a new life with businesses and looking towards prosperity? Did the habits of their children not fit into the family idyll? Did parents act under the guise of tough love affording them an opportunity to treat their children with social abandonment? How many homeless people were taught money management by their families? How many families tried and exhausted financial resources for inpatient rehabilitation programs and mental health treatment? There are many precipitating factors that could be a part of the layered antecedents of homelessness not to mention the deinstitutionalization of mental health patients from locked wards in the state of California during the Reagan administration introducing community mental health options.
Christopher Lasch commented in his book A Culture of Narcissism that we meaning the young adults of the early nineteen eighties were part of the “me” generation and were not oriented towards networking, extended families and thinking about the larger family picture as Americans.
The epigenetic effects of homelessness are not homelessness itself with the exception of exposure to environmental conditions and how that tags genes that might not be expressed because of lack of shelter. Most of the epigenetic reasoning of homelessness by my cohort includes variables that could be antecedents or consequences of homelessness but not homelessness alone.
For instance, Colin, and Beth talked about drug and alcohol use, abuse, and dependence as coping mechanisms for homelessness, and also mental illness. Mental illness is not caused by homelessness alone because if any person were put in an environment without food, shelter (including clothes) and water could develop a temporary stress related psychosis that is not iatrogenic to the tags on their genomes. I agree that the street coping mechanisms are not dialectical behavioral therapy but a cigarette and swig out of a bottle of Thunderbird and a cup of coffee from the local mission at best.
Reply to this
Epigenetic could play a role,but who says just because the gun is loaded you have to pull the trigger. Much of the homeless population suffer from depression, schizophrenia or some type of mental handicap. Studies have shown this can be hereditary therefore have an effect on their future. A healthy human being has control of their destiny. Their are many homeless people that are unfortunate due to loss of jobs or homes and have given up on life especially when there is no one to turn to. So they feel.
Reply to this
The duet by Dr. BLT and Mr. Howe created a haunting image of a surrealistic face in the lyrics. I have always feared that because of my poor sense of money management I would be a bag lady at the end of my life pushing a grocery cart with my worldly belongings. The notion "you have nothing else to fear" is accurate to me because when one loses everything one cherished including the shoes on their feet, the oppression of the socioeconomic climb is over so that one's deepest fear of being and nothingness is realized. What is left after an earthquake in Haiti and one is a child running barefoot in the street? Death is inevitable and kindness which brings a chance of survival is a twist in one's fate. That twist could save one or give one respite for a time and then one finds oneself returning to a state of learned helplessness. Learned helplessness, and hopelessness could create an epigenetic pattern when a person experiences catastrophic loss, followed by a temporary respite from the loss and then a return to catastrophic loss because the respite could not secure a permanent change.
Reply to this
I believe that epigenetics could play a role in homelessness; however, it does not appear that much research has been completed in this area. Hypothetically though, it would seem that environmental factors (poor nutrition, neglect/abuse) could lead to physical changes in the next generation’s brain development. In a study by Dr. Stephen Hwang in the Canadian Medical Association Journal the researchers surveyed 900 homeless persons in Canada and found that 58% of homeless men and 42% of homeless women had suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) during some period of their lives, many at a very young age. This study would support my hypothesis in that it shows there may be a correlation between brain function and homelessness.
The heart and the head would be essential in producing solutions for the issue of homelessness. People need to address the issue of homelessness with compassion and empathy, as well as with intelligence. For about a year I worked at a public library and had the fortunate experience to meet a man who called himself “Smokey.” He was homeless, and had been that way for a long time. However, he was very avoidant of handouts from others (unless it was cigarettes) and expressed how content he was with his lifestyle. I remember being quite baffled by his disregard of all things society would deem important (home, job, monetary worth, etc.). However, he was content in his lifestyle - probably more so than many people that I know who have the things that society prioritizes. I asked him once about his weekly routine and he explained to me his schedule. He knew exactly where to be for a clean change of clothes, shower, hot meal, even medical treatment. Meeting and getting to know Smokey was a very eye opening experience for me. However, I know there are many, who are not like Smokey, and who don’t know how to access the resources available to them. I believe that is why homeless ministries/programs are so important, they allow people to be given the information as to how to access community programs that can assist them in finding food, shelter, clothing, and support.
I believe that epigenetics could play a role in the reduction of homelessness, however do not believe it could ever eradicate it. Epigenetics could allow future generations to be born without disease and with optimal brain health. However, epigenetics can not provide a safety cushion for the blows that life can throw you. It can not ensure that you have a stable job for the rest of your life, with money to pay all your bills. It also cannot protect you from injuries that could occur and alter your ability to function in life. However, even if it could somehow place a protective bubble around you, I do not believe that homelessness can ever completely be eradicated. Not when there are people out there, like Smokey, who are completely satisfied with their way of life.
Reply to this
It seems plausible that DNA modifications from epigenetic factors can play a role in explaining why some people end up homeless. Epigenetics may indirectly influence those factors that make homelessness more likely, such as having a mental illness, abusing drugs and alcohol, developing poor money management skills, and attaining minimal academic achievement. There may be some epigenetic tags attached to the genetic information that passes from one generation to generation that perpetuates the cycle of homeless. These epigenetic tags can occur before someone becomes homeless or even through the process of being homeless. Experiencing homelessness could significantly impact a pregnant mother because she would more likely have additional stress, exposure to harmful toxins through drug and alcohol abuse, poorer nutrition, and substandard prenatal care. These environmental factors could influence the genetic expression of her fetus and future generations.
Hearing the duet’s lyrics increases the listener’s empathy towards people that are homeless. Music has the potential to empower society to take steps to address the needs of the homelessness. If we keep epigenetics in mind, we will be less likely to blame the homeless for their situation and instead look for the genetic factors that may have influenced their circumstances. According to Peedicayil (2008)in his article title, “Epigenetic biomarkers in psychiatric disorders”, research suggest the RELN gene, encoding reelin, is epigenetically modified in patients with psychosis resulting in decreased expression of reelin. Reelin is involved in guiding neurons and radial glial cells to their correct positions in the developing brain and in neurotransmission, memory formation and synaptic plasticity in the adult brain. He argues that the application of epigentics can be used for detecting and diagnosing psychiatric disorders. This is relevant to the plight of the homeless because it is estimated that between 20% and 25% of homeless people have experienced severe and often extremely disabling mental illness such as schizophrenia and major affective disorders. If the biomarkers associated with psychosis can be neutralized through pharmaceutical intervention, with the support and funding from an empathetic government , one of the leading factors involved in homelessness can someday be eliminated.
Reply to this
I do believe epigenetics could play a role in the matter of homelessness. When I think of a homeless individual, I think of someone who is mentally handicapped, or has an addiction to some kind of substance that has led to their fate. Homeless individuals typically live in unsafe, unsanitary conditions and are malnourished. These are all environmental conditions that can have an outstanding impact on future generations, particularly of these people’s offspring.
Reply to this
There is a great possibility that Epigenetics can play a role in the matter of homelessness. Most of those that are homeless have either some type of mental illness and/or drug addiction in the first place. Being in that specific environment, without a home and on the streets, can be traumatic not only for the homeless adults but especially for children that are involved. Homeless individuals already have an unfortunate disadvantage of very limited resources (e.g. food, water, shelter, clothes, education), which in turn have an effect on one’s self esteem, intellect and self care. This can then exacerbate their current mental illness, whether that is depression, addiction, schizophrenia, etc. Without any treatment to address their mental health concerns, it is a great possibility that future generations may experience homelessness as well. This possibility is greater if those that are homeless already have offspring that are familiar with the homeless way of life (e.g. living on the streets, scavenging for food, loitering for money, etc.). It is easy to stay in the generational cycle of homelessness if experienced starting at such an early age. Trans-generational Epigenetics can occur if nothing is done to help break this cycle. Mental illness would need to be treated to avoid the generational relapsing of the disorder which can attribute to the situation of homelessness.
After listening to the duet, I suggest that people use their heart and head to show compassion and empathy for the homeless. I’d rather people offer these sentiments rather than sympathy, as people do not wish to be pitied but more so, just understood. Helping out with donations (to shelters, charities, etc.) is also helpful for both the homeless and the donator, as both should feel good about the deed that has been done. People should use their head when it comes to giving donations directly into the homeless person’s hand, as you do not know whether that person is suffering from some type of addiction. An assessment of the situation should be done to determine if it is even safe to approach such a person in the first place. Common sense is always key to feel out the situation.
Reply to this
(continued)
I do not believe that Epigenetics can play a role in the eradication of homelessness, as I do not believe that homelessness will ever be eradicated in the first place. I do believe that Epigenetics can help, however, there are multiple reasons of why/how a person can become homeless, and at times, not even with the help of a mental illness or addiction (e.g. one losing their job unexpectedly, getting kicked out of their home unexpectedly, etc.). So unfortunately, I believe there will always the situation of homelessness around the world.
Reply to this