Most people recognize trauma as something specific that happens to them. You can experience trauma as a child or adult, and it comes in a variety of forms. But, you can also experience intergenerational trauma – even when the traumatic event didn’t impact you directly. 

Intergenerational trauma, often referred to as multigenerational trauma, refers to trauma that gets passed down from generation to generation. Someone in your family could have experienced a traumatic event years ago, but because of the way it was passed on, you could be dealing with it. 

What does that mean, exactly? Let’s dive deeper into what intergenerational trauma looks like, and how you can put a stop to the cycle. 

How to Identify Intergenerational Trauma

Without a prior understanding of intergenerational trauma, it might seem confusing at first. The easiest way to understand it is to look at a possible example. 

A classic example is childhood abuse. If your great-grandmother was abused as a child, she could have continued that cycle of abuse (either physical or emotional) with her own children. They may have then continued it with theirs until it was passed down to you. 

Sometimes, intergenerational trauma occurs that isn’t anyone’s fault. People who lived in extreme poverty may pass on the habits of that lifestyle to future generations. Others who experienced traumatic situations, like witnessing a violent death, can also pass on the effects of that trauma. 

Holocaust survivors are often discussed when it comes to intergenerational trauma. Obviously, you didn’t go through the horrors of the holocaust. But, you may know of those horrors and have specific fears because of the effects that were passed down in your family. 

What Are the Signs?

Unfortunately, intergenerational trauma often goes unrecognized. That’s what causes the cycle to move forward without ceasing. But, when you understand what it is and some of the common symptoms, you can be the generation that puts a stop to it. 

Some of the usual signs of intergenerational trauma include: 

• Low self-esteem

• Insomnia

• Anger

• Anxiety

• Depression

These can be symptoms of a variety of mental health conditions, which is why it’s so important to receive a proper diagnosis. It can help to know a bit about your family history. So, don’t be afraid to do a little digging into the past. Also know that you don’t have to handle the effects of this type of trauma on your own. 

How Therapy Can Help

If you want to be the one that stops the cycle, talking to a mental health professional is your best option. 

One of the most important aspects of therapy is peeling back the layers of trauma to get to the root cause. While intergenerational trauma might not be easy to diagnose, it’s working through those layers that will make it possible to get the answers you need. 

When you recognize that your symptoms don’t necessarily stem from your own experiences, you can work on developing the skills needed to overcome them. That can be difficult, as it often requires you to recognize things about your upbringing that aren’t easy to admit. However, as you work through them in a safe and neutral setting, you can start to take full control of your life for the first time rather than letting the trauma define you. 

If you want to know more about intergenerational trauma or you believe you might be dealing with it, please contact me to set up an appointment. The things your family went through in the past don’t have to dictate your life today. Together, we’ll get to the bottom of your experiences. And as we do, you can find the freedom to live the way you want to.