Generational trauma, also known as intergenerational trauma, is a cycle of trauma passed down through families, significantly impacting mental and physical health; however, understanding and addressing it can lead to healing and breaking the cycle. At WHAT.EDU.VN, we provide a platform for you to explore resources and support for overcoming generational trauma. Understanding the origins, symptoms, and available treatments can empower individuals and families to break free from the chains of inherited pain, paving the way for healthier, more resilient futures, and our free consultation services can help get you started. Explore related concepts such as inherited trauma, transgenerational trauma, and historical trauma.
1. Understanding Generational Trauma
Trauma is a response to a deeply distressing or disturbing event that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope, causing feelings of helplessness, diminishing their sense of self, and their ability to feel a full range of emotions. Generational trauma, also known as intergenerational or transgenerational trauma, extends these adverse effects across generations.
It begins when a group experiences a traumatic event, such as war, genocide, slavery, or systemic oppression. These events cause economic, cultural, and familial distress. In response, people belonging to that group may develop physical or psychological symptoms. Subsequent generations may inherit trauma and those health conditions through factors like discrimination, prejudice, and altered parenting styles.
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People who experience trauma may develop health conditions like:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Heart disease
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
According to Melanie English, PhD, a clinical psychologist and parenting evaluator, generational trauma can be silent, covert, and undefined, surfacing through nuances and inadvertently taught or implied throughout someone’s life from an early age onward.
2. What Are Some Examples of Generational Trauma?
Historical examples of groups affected by generational trauma include Black Americans, Holocaust survivors, and Indigenous communities, among others.
- Black Americans: The chronic stress and nutritional deficiencies experienced during slavery have led to epigenetic changes, contributing to poor physical and mental health outcomes. Generational trauma contributes to a high risk for depression, anxiety, and high blood pressure among Black Americans. The cycle of generational trauma persists due to structural racism, contributing to economic and health disparities between Black and white Americans.
- Holocaust Survivors: Research has shown high rates of psychological distress among children of Holocaust survivors. A survey of adult children of Holocaust survivors found that a significant percentage reported having generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), depression, and PTSD. Epigenetic changes may cause generational trauma among families affected by the Holocaust, with studies showing survivors and their children more likely to have changes in their FKBP5 gene, a stress gene linked to anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
- Indigenous Communities: Indigenous communities have experienced generational trauma from the loss of culture, land, and population. Trauma persists due to discrimination and prejudice against Indigenous communities, leading to poor mental and physical health outcomes. Studies have shown that a significant percentage of Indigenous people reported not seeking healthcare services due to discrimination in medical settings.
3. What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Generational Trauma?
Research has found that the signs and symptoms of generational trauma may include:
- A lack of self‐worth
- Anxiety
- Depersonalization, or feeling detached from yourself and your surroundings
- Depression
- Emotional numbness
- Impaired life skills (e.g., critical thinking, decision-making, or managing your time)
- PTSD symptoms (e.g., feeling socially isolated, having negative thoughts, or losing interest in hobbies)
Generational trauma might affect the immune system. A study looked at genes related to immune health among the children of Holocaust survivors, finding that some of those genes were less active than average. As a result, the participants had low innate immunity, which is the immunity you are born with.
Dr. DeSilva suggests that generational trauma may lead to a dysfunctional immune system—one that’s either too active or not active enough, resulting in more autoimmune diseases or a greater propensity for illness.
4. What Are The Causes of Generational Trauma?
Generational trauma begins when a group collectively experiences a horrific event, such as abuse, discrimination, natural disasters, racism, and war. Those events may lead to anxiety, depression, and PTSD among the people directly affected by their effects. Then, those people may pass on their trauma to their offspring, and so on.
5. How Do Epigenetic Changes Contribute To Generational Trauma?
One way that trauma passes down generations is through epigenetic changes. Trauma changes how your genes work, and those changes pass down to your children.
Trauma affects genetic processes, leading to traumatic reactivity being heightened in populations who experience a great deal of trauma, according to Dr. Gayani DeSilva, a child and adolescent psychiatrist.
6. What Is The Difference Between Epigenetic Changes vs. Genetic Changes?
Epigenetic changes are different than genetic changes, which alter your DNA. DNA is like a set of instructions for your body. Genetic changes can change what those instructions say.
In contrast, epigenetic changes change how your body reads your DNA, known as gene expression. Epigenetic changes may turn specific genes “on” or “off.” People with generational trauma may have certain genes that are not expressed as usual, which increases their risk for certain illnesses like anxiety and depression.
Still, it is hard to pinpoint exactly why certain genes are expressed differently in people who have family members with trauma. Other ways that people inherit trauma from their ancestors is through factors such as discrimination and prejudice.
7. What Are The Risk Factors Associated With Generational Trauma?
Everyone is susceptible to generational trauma. Events that can result in generational trauma include:
- Adverse experiences during childhood
- Discrimination
- Natural disaster
- Racism
- Sexual abuse
- War
Ethnic and racial minorities have a higher risk of generational trauma than White people. According to Dr. DeSilva, being systematically exploited, enduring repeated and continual abuse, racism, and poverty are all traumatic enough to cause genetic changes.
8. How Is Generational Trauma Diagnosed?
There is no specific diagnosis of generational trauma, according to the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition” (DSM-5). However, the phenomenon is well-accepted among experts.
Trauma can manifest itself through stress, anxiety, fight or flight, and other heightened alert systems in our brain and bodies, but intergenerational trauma can also mask itself through learned beliefs, behaviors, and patterns that become engrained, according to English. This kind of wiring impacts personalities, relationships, parenting, communication, and views of the world.
Although there is no test to diagnose generational trauma, a healthcare provider can use a mental health screening to check for mental illnesses. Questions may cover your appetite, feelings, mood, sleep, and other behaviors. You might fill out a questionnaire or talk to a healthcare provider about your responses. It’s important to answer honestly to diagnose your condition accurately.
A healthcare provider may refer you to someone who specializes in mental health, like a psychologist or psychiatrist, if you show signs of mental illness. A mental healthcare provider can ask further questions to diagnose mental illnesses like anxiety, depression, or PTSD.
9. What Are The Treatments For Generational Trauma?
No easy answers exist, but healing from generational trauma may include:
- Accepting the trauma, its effects, and how you may treat it
- Pinpointing signs and symptoms that may relate to the trauma
- Resisting environments that worsen the effects of the trauma
Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, helps lessen or resolve the effects of generational trauma. Talk therapy enables you to recognize the trauma and how it affects you.
10. What Coping Strategies Can Be Employed For Generational Trauma?
Based on your experiences, a mental healthcare provider can advise coping strategies. For example, they may recommend breathing exercises and meditation to alleviate anxiety symptoms. Talk therapy may involve individual or family therapy.
Disparities in access to mental healthcare exist for many racial and ethnic minorities affected by generational trauma. As a result, many of those people are less likely to seek or receive adequate treatment for mental illnesses.
11. What Is Culturally Competent Therapy, And How Can It Help?
In some cases, therapy may focus on traditional methods unique to different cultures to foster a group’s identity. Culturally competent mental healthcare recognizes and incorporates parts of your beliefs and values to improve your mental health. A culturally competent mental healthcare provider considers your cultural, linguistic, and social needs.
You can find a culturally competent mental healthcare provider who can work well with people from your cultural group. You can start by researching those with the same cultural background.
Here are a few resources for various cultural groups that may help you find a mental health professional:
12. How Can Generational Trauma Be Prevented?
Educating people about generational trauma is an essential tool for ending the cycle. A 2022 study looked at the effectiveness of a generational trauma card (GTC). The GTC included illustrations explaining how trauma could transfer from generation to generation and affect a person’s health. The participants reported a high level of wanting to learn about generational trauma and a likeliness to share what they learned.
The participants noted they would engage in activities to break the cycle of trauma, such as:
- Dedicating time to process any trauma
- Joining a support group
- Utilizing the assistance of a mental health professional
13. What Does Living With Generational Trauma Look Like?
According to English, knowing you aren’t alone or helpless and knowing that there may have been factors outside of your control might help process the trauma. When we process things and understand them, we can then often find coping mechanisms. When we find coping mechanisms, we can heal, redefine ourselves, and reclaim a part of our life.
Stopping the cycle of ongoing trauma, which may require a huge amount of encouragement and support, is essential.
Dr. DeSilva suggests that support groups, financial support, housing support, healthcare, education, nutritional support, community resources, spiritual connections, and individual therapy will all need to be addressed for successful cessation of generational trauma.
Finding ways to connect to your cultural strengths may help with healing. You may find support in books or films that you relate to, practicing cultural rituals, or talking to loved ones about your culture.
14. Quick Review: Generational Trauma Explained
The effects of generational trauma can include anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Generations of families that have endured years of abuse, neglect, assault, or other forms of trauma, may find it hard to escape the cycle.
There are resources available to people who want to heal, like therapy, education, and support from others. Contact a healthcare provider or mental health specialist for help experiencing generational trauma.
FAQ: Generational Trauma
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the main cause of generational trauma? | Generational trauma primarily stems from collective horrific events such as abuse, discrimination, natural disasters, racism, and war, which lead to lasting psychological and emotional effects passed down through families. |
| How does generational trauma affect parenting styles? | It can lead to altered parenting styles, such as being overly protective, emotionally distant, or struggling to provide a stable and nurturing environment, impacting the emotional development and well-being of children. |
| Can generational trauma affect physical health? | Yes, it can manifest in various physical health issues, including a weakened immune system, increased susceptibility to autoimmune diseases, heart conditions, and other stress-related illnesses, as evidenced by studies on Holocaust survivors and their descendants. |
| Are there specific genes linked to generational trauma? | While there isn’t a single gene, research suggests that epigenetic changes, such as alterations in the FKBP5 gene (a stress gene), are more common in individuals with a family history of trauma, influencing their susceptibility to anxiety, depression, and PTSD. |
| How can cultural identity help in healing from generational trauma? | Connecting with cultural strengths, such as practicing cultural rituals, engaging with related books or films, and discussing culture with loved ones, provides a sense of belonging, support, and resilience, aiding in processing and overcoming the effects of trauma. |
| What role do support groups play in addressing generational trauma? | Support groups offer a safe and understanding environment where individuals can share experiences, gain insights, and develop coping strategies, fostering a sense of community and reducing feelings of isolation and helplessness. |
| Is it possible to completely heal from generational trauma? | Complete healing may not be possible, but significant progress can be made through therapy, education, and support, enabling individuals to break the cycle, redefine their lives, and reclaim a sense of self and well-being. |
| How does racism contribute to generational trauma? | Systemic racism leads to ongoing discrimination, economic disparities, and repeated exposure to traumatic events, creating a cycle of chronic stress and adversity that affects multiple generations, perpetuating psychological and emotional wounds. |
| What are some coping mechanisms for dealing with anxiety? | Coping mechanisms for dealing with anxiety may include breathing exercises and meditation to alleviate anxiety symptoms. |
| Where can I find support for addressing generational trauma? | There are resources available to people who want to heal, like therapy, education, and support from others. Contact a healthcare provider or mental health specialist for help experiencing generational trauma. |
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