By Varsha Seshadri
What is generational trauma?
Generational trauma, also known as intergenerational trauma, is trauma that is passed down through generations. This can result from personal experience, witnessing trauma, or living in an unsafe environment. Generational trauma can have severe side effects, such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety.
Signs and Symptoms
Generational trauma can be passed down through both DNA as well as culture. The signs and symptoms of generational trauma include:
● PTSD
● Depression
● Anxiety
● Chronic Pain
● Low self-esteem
● Substance Abuse Disorders
● Eating Disorders
● Trust Issues
● Anger Issues
● Insomnia
What can cause generational trauma?
Many things can cause generational trauma, some examples being:
● War
● Oppression
● Poverty
● Abusive/Unsafe Households
In addition to this, trauma can be genetically passed down from parent to child. Because of this, some people may have a higher risk of developing trauma. Trauma creates a mark on a person’s genome- not classified as a mutation- that can be passed to offspring.
Also, trauma can be passed through cyclic styles of parenting. When a parent, due to their unresolved trauma, takes it out on a child, the child will continue to suffer from the same
struggles the parent did, and have a risk of even passing this down to their children. So, children need to be aware of the trauma and work towards breaking the cycle.
Impact on Teenagers
Recent studies show that children are susceptible to genetically carrying their parents’ trauma, which heightens the risk of suffering from mental health issues. Also, people whose moms experienced trauma while carrying them were likely to develop this trauma too. This being said, having to deal with their parent’s trauma as well as their own life can be extremely difficult and damaging to mental health.
How to Heal Generational Trauma
It is possible to heal from trauma. Here are some methods that could help with the healing process. Some things that can help include:
● Therapy
● Self-care
● Connection to others
References
Chapple, R. (2023, October 17). What is generational trauma? Talkspace. https://www.talkspace.com/blog/generational-trauma/
Erdeyi, K. M. (n.d.). Can trauma be passed down from one generation to the next? HealthCentral.
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