It is the unfortunate reality that a significant amount of individuals experience some form of trauma on a daily basis. You also might happen to be someone who has experienced a traumatic event in the past, and that’s entirely alright. It is nothing to be ashamed of and does not take away from your identity.  

Though trauma affects many people, that doesn’t make it any easier to deal with. Trauma is unique to each individual and can manifest in a multitude of ways, but there are some traumas whose roots extend beyond the lived experiences of one person. 

Let’s get acquainted with generational trauma.

Understanding Generational Trauma

Where Does it Come From?

Generational trauma, sometimes referred to as intergenerational trauma, is a specific type of trauma that is passed down from those who experience the incident to the following generations. This trauma can cause tension in family dynamics and create unhealthy environments for children to reside within. 

A traumatic event experienced can affect one individual, multiple family members, or even larger communities of people. Entire populations or cultures can collectively endure abuse that has the power to shape the course of their lives, as well as the lives of future generations.

The refusal of family members to share trauma with each other creates enough space for that trauma to fester and grow, affecting subsequent generations who never had exposure to the initial event. Many parents do not want to acknowledge the presence of trauma and make extreme efforts to ignore it, which damages the relationship they have with their children and allows for their issues to be passed on. 

Historical Trauma

Many people who experience generational trauma belong to a demographic that has experienced some sort of collective trauma in the past. It is easy to let trauma linger within communities when the people who belong to those communities are all victims of the same struggle, but that should not diminish the severity of the problem. 

Studies have shown that descendants of Holocaust survivors are among the largest group of people who seek treatment for trauma related issues. The initial experience gets passed on to succeeding generations since it is not resolved by the individuals who actually endured the incident. 

There is also evidence that indigenous populations carry intergenerational trauma brought on by the genocide of their ancestors. 

The Effects of Generational Trauma

To break the chain of intergenerational trauma, you must realize that there is an overarching problem. It is important to confront trauma directly so that the problems that stem from the trauma can be dealt with. Ignoring the signs of trauma will negatively affect your life and the lives of those around you. 

If trauma is left to linger in the household unsupervised for too long, then bigger problems will manifest. Among the possibilities of issues that trauma can contribute to are increased chances of poverty, emotional detachment, high anxiety, and unstable living situations. 

Parents may become incapable of raising their children in an effective manner and child neglect becomes a real risk. Children will not be able to develop and thrive in this type of environment, harming their ability to socialize later in life.  

Generational Trauma in Children

Children are particularly vulnerable when it comes to experiencing the effects of generational trauma. Parents who cannot properly address their trauma leave room for it to affect various areas of their lives, including the upbringing of their children. 

Signs of trauma in children may be more easy to spot than in adults. The presence of an academic setting gives youths more opportunities to express their difficulties through performance reviews, allowing teachers to see how students are developing and if they seem to be struggling. 

If children are dealing with generational trauma at home, it can manifest in various ways that all negatively impact their ability to perform in the classroom. 

Some Signs of Generational Trauma

• Anger management issues 
• Social withdrawal
• Disconnect from emotions
• Substance abuse 

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How to Manage Generational Trauma

So you now realize the underlying trauma that has been afflicting your family for multiple generations. You see that it has been causing immense problems in your daily lives and that it needs to be addressed so that the healing process can begin. But now the question is: how do you successfully manage it? 

The good news is you don’t need to do all the work by yourself. There are resources out there to assist you and your family on your journey. All you need to do is be aware of the signs of generational trauma and take appropriate measures to start confronting them.

Steps You Can Take to Address Generational Trauma

• Identify the existence of intergenerational trauma patterns in your family
• Work on having productive communication with family members
• Have compassion for yourself and the experiences of others
• Learn about the individual coping mechanisms everyone has 
• Acknowledge attitudes present in your family that contribute to tension

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Professional Help

Trauma should not be seen as a problem that needs to be handled alone. Though you might struggle with opening up about private family issues, know that you deserve help just like anyone else. You do not need to hide behind your trauma because there are people out there who want to support you and those you care about. 

Trauma absolutely qualifies as a disorder and requires sufficient attention to help manage it. Believing that you and your family can overcome generational trauma without external help is wishful thinking and, when it comes down to it, an unrealistic fantasy.