Healing generational trauma

The term “generational trauma” describes the psychological effects of traumatic events that are passed down through family members. 

Research shows that if a person’s relatives experience traumatic events — like war, famine, natural disasters, assault, or systemic injustice — they’re at greater risk for a variety of negative mental and physical health outcomes, even if they weren’t alive during the traumatic event. 

How does generational trauma get passed down?

We don’t yet fully understand how generational trauma occurs. However, it appears that trauma exposure can create lasting changes to a person’s genetic blueprint, and these adaptations can be passed down to younger generations. This phenomenon is referred to as epigenetics, or the study of how cells change due to environmental or hereditary factors. 

While large groups of people who experience the same traumatic event can respond very differently, generational trauma is often caused by:

• War
• Genocide
• Colonization
• Slavery
• Natural disasters
• Poverty
• System racism and other forms of institutionalized oppression
• Assault
• Abuse
• Neglect
• Harmful substance use

The ripple effect of traumatic events can span generations. But it’s important to remember that there are ways to break the cycle. By engaging with trauma-informed care and taking a proactive approach to parent-child attachment, you can heal from the effects of trauma and keep it from harming the next generation in your family and community. 

How can generational trauma affect you?

The effects of generational trauma can vary. But research shows that, left untreated, it can take a toll on a person’s mental and physical health. 

Some of the most common symptoms of generational trauma include:

• Feelings of shame and/or guilt
• Anxiety
• Depression
• A sense of vulnerability and helplessness
• Poor self-esteem
• Hypervigilance, or constantly scanning your environment for potential threats and feeling on edge
• Unwanted or intrusive thoughts related to the traumatic event
• Relationship problems and difficulty forming healthy, strong bonds with others
• Anger management issues
• Heightened reactivity
• Low distress tolerance

Now, let’s review some examples of scenarios that show how these reactions might manifest for people who’ve experienced generational trauma.

• Jane grew up in a home with domestic violence. She witnessed her parents physically assault one another many times. As an adult, she struggles to feel safe in relationships and becomes easily startled and afraid during disagreements. This hypervigilance exists even though her partner has never shown signs of being abusive.
• During childhood, Maria and her family had to flee their home due to military conflict and civil unrest. While they were able to reach physical safety as refugees, their home and community were destroyed. Today, Maria has her own children, but, as a parent, she’s in a constant state of overwhelming anxiety. She has a hard time letting her children out of her sight and constantly worries about their safety. 
• Jason is a Black man, and previous generations of his family were enslaved. He still feels the effects of racism in his daily life. For example, despite living in what’s considered a progressive area, he’s been pulled over many times on his usual route home from work, often without any clear reason. These interactions reflect the biases inherent in racial profiling, leaving him feeling angry and powerless in ways that his white friends don’t.
• Charlie’s grandfather was killed in a car accident during a cross-country road trip. Because this occurred long before cell phones existed, his grandmother didn’t know what happened to her husband for two days. Years later, the trauma of unexpected loss deeply affected his mother’s ability to form a secure attachment to Charlie and his siblings.

Guidance for your journey to heal generational trauma

The most powerful tool we have for overcoming generational trauma is prevention. However, this isn’t always possible, and it can feel unfair to carry the psychological burden of events that occurred before you were even born. You might even feel some anger or frustration with previous generations of your family who didn’t take steps to stop the passing on of generational trauma onto you. Just know that these feelings are valid and processing them can be an important part of your healing journey.

If you’re experiencing the negative effects of generational trauma, you’re not alone, and help is available. Trauma therapy is a treatment approach designed to help people overcome the psychological and emotional impact of trauma. This can include various talk therapies, as well as expressive or creative supports — like art or music therapy — depending on your interests and needs.

In addition to seeking professional help, self-care can be an important part of your recovery from generational trauma. For some people, this might mean going for a run or taking a hot bath. For others, it could be listening to a funny podcast, reading a self-help book, or exploring a mindfulness meditation. Your self-care practice can include anything that allows you to express yourself (including uncomfortable emotions) and brings a sense of peace to your mind and body.

Find care with Rula

Generational trauma has negatively impacted the well-being of countless people in communities across the world. The legacy of this phenomenon is such that people who weren’t even alive when the trauma occurred can still feel its effects. 

While experts are yet to understand how this occurs, it’s believed to be due, at least in part, to genetic changes brought on by trauma. These changes can be passed down in families and can lead to a variety of negative physical and mental health outcomes. But fortunately, with the right support, you can interrupt the cycle and live a healthy, fulfilling life. 

When you need affordable, accessible, trauma-informed care, look no further than Rula. With our therapist-matching program, you can quickly and easily sort through over 10,000 providers to find the right provider for you. In just a few minutes, you can sort by interest, issue, and insurance and make your first live video appointment with your new provider for as soon as tomorrow.

Find a therapist with Rula