Breaking the Curse of Generational Trauma and What It Is
It’s like you’re living in a haunted house. The past actions of others are having a negative impact on the person you are today. Their reflections taunt you. Their spirits linger, and you can’t seem to just brush them away and ignore them.
Even though they’re no longer with you, they’re still there. Their past actions and beliefs are still part of your family members and are now working on impacting you.
It’s a curse that you don’t want to be part of. It’s not part of your narrative, nor do you want it to be. You’re constantly on edge and in defense mode, prepping for whatever life will throw your way next.
Let’s learn more about what generational trauma actually is and how to break the curse of it within your own family dynamic.
What is Generational Trauma?
We can inherit a lot from our family members. You may get your height from your mother’s side of the family, and your hair and eye color from your father’s side. Some of your personality traits could be very similar to one of your uncles, but you may have the book smarts of one of your grandparents. Many different things, emotional and physical, can be passed down between generations.
Unfortunately, positive and negative experiences, traits, and learned behaviors can be passed on. Generational trauma happens to be one of those things. Generational trauma is a trauma that is passed on from one generation to the next.
The Cause of Generational Trauma
Generational trauma happens when a group of people experience a horrific or negative life event. The trauma is passed on from one generation to the next. Here are a few examples of negative life events that can lead to generational trauma:
Discrimination
Emotional abuse
Natural disasters
Neglect
Racism
Physical abuse
Sexual abuse
Violence
War
There are many examples throughout history of generational trauma. Black Americans, Holocaust survivors, and indigenous communities are just a few of the many different examples of generational trauma that has occurred for these different groups of people over the years.
The Signs of Generational Trauma
Here are a few of the signs and symptoms that can occur due to generational trauma:
Anxiety
Detachment
Developmental issues
Depression
Emotional numbness
Lack of self-worth
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
How to Break Generational Trauma
Breaking a generational trauma may seem unlikely, but it’s not impossible. Healing from generational trauma is completely possible. Here are a few different ways to break the cycle.
Accept the Trauma
One of the best ways to start the healing process is to first accept the trauma that occurred. The longer you go on trying to completely dismiss the trauma, the longer it will take you to heal. You have to acknowledge the trauma in order to better understand its impact and ways that you can move forward.
Set Boundaries
Once you have a better understanding of your trauma, signs and symptoms, and the impact it may be having on your family and yourself, you can start to set boundaries. There may be certain people, places, or things that have a negative impact on your trauma. Try to set boundaries and avoid anything that may be triggering or may make the trauma worse. This can be a huge savior for your overall mental health and wellness.
Seek Additional Support
You don’t have to try to overcome generational trauma all on your own. Help is available to you, whether that means looking towards your own family and friends for support or reaching out to an outside third party. Seeking additional support can make you feel a little less alone in your trauma. A mental health professional can help you work towards a better understanding of the trauma as well as finding and implementing coping mechanisms to help you overcome and move forward again.
