“A gleam in the veins, that radiant flow, which comes from seeing the passing of wisdom between generations.” Chang-Rae Lee

 
 

Intergenerational Trauma

What is Intergenerational Trauma?

Are there any pains or burdens that you carry that didn’t start with you? War, genocide, slavery, forced migration, colonization, and discrimination are all examples of what could lead to intergenerational trauma. If your ancestral family line has lived through any of these experiences, it’s possible that you may be inherited these traumas from your ancestors. Simply put, intergenerational trauma is the passing of the effects of trauma through the generations. That means that even if you haven’t directly experienced the trauma event in your lifetime, you may still be living with the effects of that trauma.

The tricky thing about intergenerational trauma is that they are not immediately obvious that that’s what it is. Unless we are actively curious about it, we may not fully understand that something that has plagued us for most of our lives actually doesn’t have anything to do with us, but rather with the struggles of our ancestors.

This is important, especially for people who come from marginalized communities who have more likelihood of suffering from intergenerational trauma. If we don’t fully understand the roots of our burdens, it’s easy to mistakenly blame ourselves or think of it as a character defect.

 

What are Symptoms of Intergenerational Trauma?

Intergenerational trauma can manifest in a lot of different ways in someone’s life. And these symptoms may be obvious while others are more subtle. Intergenerational trauma symptoms can affect all parts of our lives, from emotional, relational, to even physical. Here are some examples of intergenerational trauma.

  • scarcity mindset

  • anger/rage

  • colonial mentality

  • low self esteem and low sense of worth

  • depression, anxiety

  • burnout

  • physical health issues, like heart issues, diabetes, and chronic pain

  • self destructive behaviors, like addiction

  • codependency

  • parentified children

  • shame

  • self-policing and silencing

  • relationship difficulties

  • difficulty with trust and attachment

Intergenerational trauma can also be inherited by societies, not only by the individuals of that community. When intergenerational trauma is passed through societal lines, it can show up as cultural and societal practices that end up perpetuating cycles of trauma and oppression.

Intergenerational Blessings

Usually, most conversations around intergenerational patterns tend to be focused on inherited traumas. However, it would be a mistake to forget about the blessings we have also inherited from our family line. If it’s possible to inherit traumas from our ancestors, it is also possible for us to inherit the wisdom, blessings, and strengths of our ancestors as well. While they may have passed on some effects of their trauma, they have also passed on their strength, resilience, courage, and a strong sense of self. Other intergenerational blessings can be communal, like support systems, value and belief systems, powerful and positive role models, and strong communities.

Our ancestors have tremendous wisdom that can be invaluable to us, and as we explore our intergenerational trauma, we can rely on these intergenerational blessings to lay a foundation to heal from these traumas.

Breaking the Cycle

If you think you are part of a generational cycle that you didn’t create, and no longer want to perpetuate that cycle for yourself or future generations, therapy is a great place to start. All cycles take energy to break, and ones that have been embedded for generations, even more so. But alongside the intergenerational blessings and strength inherited by your ancestors, therapy can help you experience ancestral healing. And once you start to heal the intergenerational traumas of your family, you can instead begin to connect with your internal light and ancestral wisdom.

Just because you inherited something doesn’t mean you have to keep it. If you are curious about a journey of exploring your intergenerational traumas and blessings, please reach out to schedule a consultation.