Understanding Generational Trauma: Causes, Effects, and How It’s Passed Down
Some wounds don’t start with us, but they can end with us. Generational trauma is a powerful example of this truth.
Generational trauma refers to both emotional and psychological pain that’s passed from one generation to the next. It might include a grandparent’s traumatic experience, family history of oppression, or even a parent’s untreated grief that affects how we think and relate to the world today.
This can feel overwhelming, but there’s good news. Just because trauma can be inherited doesn’t mean you have to repeat it. Understanding generational trauma can be the first step toward breaking that cycle.
What Is Generational Trauma?
Generational trauma happens when the impact of a traumatic event doesn’t stop with the person who experienced it. Whether it’s abuse, war, oppression, addiction, or loss, the person who survived passes on the emotional and behavioral patterns born from that experience.
These patterns help people survive, but they’re often passed along without anyone realizing it’s happening.
How Trauma Gets Passed Down
Trauma travels through families in several key ways, including through family dynamics. People who have experienced trauma often struggle with emotional regulation and may have attachment issues. This affects how they raise their children. Kids learn these coping strategies, and they might become hyper-vigilant or develop people-pleasing tendencies. They carry these patterns into adulthood, and the cycle continues.
Some people openly share their trauma with children and grandchildren. Stories like “our family went through this” can leave a lasting imprint. While meant to educate, this can shape a person’s identity around that traumatic event and create confusion that continues the cycle.
Biological factors can also play a part. While trauma can’t necessarily be passed down through DNA, research suggests that trauma can influence gene expression. Some stress responses can actually be heightened in descendants of trauma survivors. More research is needed, but there appears to be some biological validity to this connection.
Signs You Might Be Dealing with Generational Trauma
Generational trauma might not be as obvious as you think. Sometimes it shows up as:
- Persistent anxiety you can’t explain
- Fear of abandonment
- Difficulty trusting others
- Feeling guilty or ashamed without knowing why
- Family patterns of dysfunction
- Feeling weighed down by sadness that doesn’t seem to belong to you
If you find yourself struggling with these symptoms, there’s no doubt that generational trauma is already impacting your life. It can affect relationships, including how you parent. You might unknowingly pass on emotional wounds. In partnerships, you might struggle with intimacy, trust, or handling conflict effectively.
It can also affect your self-esteem. You might develop limiting beliefs about yourself, thinking you’re not worthy of love or that you don’t have personal power.
The Good News: The Cycle Can Be Broken
You can heal from generational trauma and stop its progression to future generations.
Exploring your family history to understand what happened can bring clarity and help you develop emotional awareness. However, one of the most effective steps you can take is seeking therapy with an approach that works for you.
Professional support can help you break unhealthy patterns and create new, healthier habits for yourself and your family.
Finding Help for Generational Trauma
At Secure Intimacy, we specialize in helping individuals understand and heal from trauma’s lasting effects. With expertise in trauma therapy, we provide a safe space to explore family patterns and develop healthier ways of relating to yourself and others.
If you recognize signs of generational trauma in your life, you don’t have to carry this burden alone. Breaking the cycle is possible, and healing can begin with your next step forward.
Ready to break the cycle of generational trauma? Contact us today to schedule a consultation and begin your healing journey.