Intergenerational trauma has become part of the bedrock of how we understand mental health. It
involves passing down behaviors, beliefs, coping mechanisms, and biological impacts from trauma
experienced by previous generations. It can manifest in different ways including mental health
challenges, relationship difficulties, health issues, and coping strategies within families and communities
affected by trauma. The passing down of trauma is not always intentional. Societal and cultural factors
can contribute to the transmission of trauma through social norms, historical narratives and systemic
inequalities that perpetuate the effects of trauma within families.
How our ancestors lived, in all sense of the word, permeates how we live in our present day. For better
or worse, we are a product of those who lived before us. I am of the mind that this isn’t all doom and
gloom because we also inherit the many remarkable qualities of generations prior and that not all
adaptations as a result of trauma are “bad”. In fact, I believe that many are important and quite useful.
And even the ones that cause us distress can be re-shaped into powerful tools that can enhance our
ability for self love, connection, flexibility, and success. There must be an end to abuse, destruction,
exploitation, and other harmful cycles, and we can aim to understand its origins to question the “I am
bad” narratives.
When we become aware of intergenerational trauma and its effects, there is often a desire to end
cycles. Discerning which to keep, which to end, and which to re-shape is a critical part of the process and can also lead to feelings of betrayal guilt, and other painful emotions. Facing these feelings is a normal part of healing. By exploring these issues, you may start to feel yourself expanding in ways that you never imagined possible.
If you’re curious to learn more, below are some books to check out:
- It Didn’t Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the
Cycle by Mark Wolynn - The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der
Kolk - Healing Collective Trauma: A Process for Integrating Our Intergenerational and Cultural Wounds
by Thomas Hübl - My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Mending of Our Bodies and Hearts by
Resmaa Menakem
