Generational trauma is the passing down of trauma from one generation to the next. This type of trauma and the chronic stress that comes with it can shape families, communities, and even entire cultures over time. When someone experiences trauma, it doesn’t always end with them. The effects can cycle through to their children, grandchildren, and beyond.
How Does Generational Trauma Work?
Generational trauma often involves repeated emotional patterns, unhealthy coping strategies, or even physical symptoms tied to past trauma. The trauma can be inherited through behaviors, emotional responses, and coping mechanisms.
For example, children of parents who were survivors of war or slavery may carry emotional wounds even if they were never directly impacted by these events. In Black families, the psychological toll of slavery and ongoing systemic racism can lead to a fear of authority or institutions, a sense of disconnection, and difficulty forming trusting relationships. Someone raised in a household with domestic violence might find themselves either mimicking violent behavior or seeking out abusive relationships without understanding why.
What Causes Generational Trauma?
Trauma can stem from a variety of sources, such as war, abuse, systemic oppression, or economic hardship. The impact of these experiences can shape the way people see the world and respond to stress. In some cases, trauma can be passed down physically through changes in the brain or body that affect later generations.
Consider the case of domestic violence. A child who grows up in an environment where violence is common might not directly experience the violence. But they can still develop issues like anxiety, depression, or aggression. This can lead to unhealthy patterns in their relationships later in life, which they might unknowingly pass down to their own children.
In communities affected by poverty, generational trauma is also common. Families in poverty often experience chronic stress, lack of access to healthcare, and limited education opportunities. These stressors can lead to mental health struggles, substance abuse, and other behaviors that make it harder to break the cycle of poverty.
How Can Generational Trauma Show Up in Everyday Life?
Generational trauma may be passed down in ways that aren’t immediately obvious but are deeply engrained in an individual's emotional development. People who have experienced or inherited trauma might find themselves experiencing the following:
- Struggling with trust or attachment in relationships
- Feeling anxious, fearful, or depressed without understanding why
- Having difficulty expressing emotions or dealing with conflict
- Repeating patterns of abuse, addiction, or neglect, even if they don’t want to
- Avoiding certain topics or experiences because of past pain
How Therapy Can Help
Working through generational trauma in therapy can be challenging, but it’s possible. The first step is recognizing the patterns and understanding where they come from. Therapy can help individuals trace the origins of their pain and see how it has affected their relationships, behaviors, and mental health.
For example, therapy might help someone from a family affected by domestic violence recognize that their struggles with anger or intimacy are tied to a pattern in their family. Or, it could help someone from a community affected by racial trauma better understand how their experiences with systemic oppression have shaped their worldview.
Breaking the Cycle
You can break the cycle of generational trauma. While it can be hard to face, recognizing the patterns and working through them with the help of a therapist can create space for healing.
As your therapist, I can help you explore family history, key events that shaped the family dynamic, and the behaviors that have been passed down. Once you understand these patterns, we can work to change them. If you’re ready to break the cycle, contact my practice to schedule an appointment.