The Impact of Intergenerational Trauma
In Canada this week, there is the observance of Orange Shirt Day; Every Child Matters, also known as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, on September 30th. It’s a day of remembrance for victims of the residential school system that was launched around 1894 until the last one closed in 1997. These schools were designed to colonize indigenous peoples.
I’m especially mindful of the cultural, ecological and spiritual impacts of this as we approach September 30th, with an ever-growing body count of children’s remains being recovered at these sites across the continent.
In its wake is a legacy of intergenerational trauma that continues to affect families to this day.
Intergenerational trauma is the psychological effects that the collective trauma experienced by a group of people has on subsequent generations in that group. Any family can be impacted by intergenerational trauma. Traumatic events that may lead to intergenerational trauma include parental incarceration, divorce, alcohol and drug use disorder, domestic violence, child abuse (e.g. sexual, physical, or emotional), or natural disasters.
Traumatic events can include, but are not limited to:
Experiencing or observing physical, sexual, and emotional abuse
Childhood neglect
Having a family member with a mental health or substance use disorder
Experiencing or witnessing violence
Sudden, unexplained separation from a loved one
Children and adults often develop coping mechanisms to alleviate the pain of trauma, some of which are classified as “health risk behaviours.” These can include eating unhealthy food or overeating, using tobacco, abusing substances, or engaging in risky sexual activities. When childhood traumatic stress goes untreated, these coping mechanisms can contribute to anxiety, social isolation, and chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, cancer, or substance use disorders.
Often, “non-compliant” behaviours, such as taking medication erratically or not attending appointments, can also be linked back to patients’ history of trauma. At its core, the traumatized person is running strategies created at the time of the traumatic event creating a deep groove in your brain and the deeper the groove gets, the more unconscious that strategy becomes. This strategy was brilliant at the time of the event, but it has not matured along with the individual.
How does intergenerational trauma show up in families?
It can cause a wide variety of families and show up in ways you might not immediately identify as trauma such as:
Emotional distance or strong resistance to discussing feelings and emotions
Feelings regarded as a sign of weakness
Trust issues with “outsiders” and in constant conflict
Anxious and overprotective parenting styles even when no danger is present
Traumatic events often trigger both physical and emotional responses in those who experience them. While many of these symptoms of trauma can occur over a long period of time, they do not necessarily last a lifetime in those who have experienced trauma.
To help you identify what trauma looks like in daily life, here is a list of some of the most common emotional and physical symptoms of trauma:
Denial of the traumatic event or events
Developing numbness to the trauma (detaching emotions from thoughts and actions)
Extreme anger or sadness
Emotional outbursts (emotional dysregulation)
Experiencing shame as a response to the trauma
Somatic symptoms (physical responses, like shaking)
Sleep problems and insomnia
Breathing problems
Gastrointestinal problems
High blood pressure or cardiovascular disorders
Substance abuse disorders
Development of PTSD
Healing can take many different forms, but all approaches have the same overarching goal: to process and integrate the traumatic event. It needs the following components:
The provision of a safe environment where traumatic events can be shared
Identifying the first traumatic event and its effect on later life
Identifying how the traumatic event is tied to emotional and physical responses
Becoming increasingly educated on the underlying mental and physical processes that cause a traumatic response
Reinforcing that neither traumatic event nor the resulting response are your fault
Building new strategies and skills for coping with traumatic responses and associated addictive behaviours
In a wounded family, the “black sheep” is most often the one who is willing to speak the truth. This is what disrupts the patterns and makes space for healing. There’s often pushback from those who want to keep the status quo because facing the pain is too daunting.
I’m fortunate that both my parents were cycle breakers in their families. It’s made space for me to keep the thread of healing family trauma alive and showing my own kids what’s possible, what can be released and how we can create new experiences.
We aren’t doomed to keep repeating these cycles of trauma; each generation has the opportunity to begin the healing process, and in my work, I’ve seen this bravery affect healing not only for the individual but for the family as a whole.
It’s never too late to begin the healing journey.
I often have parents worried that it’s too late and that the impact on their children will never be healed, but time and time again, I see that a parent who models self-discovery, shadow work and healing, makes the process that much easier for the children and also impacts their relationships with their parents and siblings as a result. It enables everyone in the family dynamic to see that the possibilities to change and evolve are not only possible but beautiful.
If you’re interested in reading more on intergenerational trauma, these are an excellent starting point:
It Didn’t Start With You: How inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle, by Mark Wolynn
The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel Van der Kolk
Intergenerational Cycles of Trauma and Violence: An Attachment and Family Systems Perspectives, by Pamela Alexander
So much more can be said about this subject matter and this is just scratching the surface. Seeing my clients take action on their own healing for themselves inspires me each and every day. As I wrap up, I ask that you please consider donating to a charity that supports healing and environmental sovereignty; I personally donate to the Indian Residential School Society as well as Raven Trust.
XO Jessica