Other examples include traumatic events such as war, natural disasters or genocide. A child who hears stories about their parents’ childhoods and how they were abused or neglected might then grow up to tell their own children these same stories, thus passing on the cycle of abuse or neglect.

In fact, one of the most common ways that intergenerational trauma is passed down is through family stories. This can be done through storytelling and by sharing memories that may have been traumatic. One example of this is how a parent can give their children a sense of identity by teaching them about their family’s history. Physical abuse or neglect can lead to a lack of self-worth and low self-esteem in later generations, who then may not believe they deserve to be loved and respected. This can lead to them being aggressive towards other children or adults and developing PTSD symptoms because they feel like there’s no escape from their trauma-filled lives. They often grow up feeling afraid or angry because they don’t know what they did wrong or why their parents targeted them. Still, one of the most common examples is when children are exposed to violence or physical abuse in their homes. There are many different examples of this and of the intergenerational trauma effects. The internet has allowed for a more open and fluid environment where people can find communities of others who share their experiences. This is largely due to how social media and the internet have changed how people connect with one another. Intergenerational trauma has been around for a while, but it is not until recently that the concept has been given more attention.

If you notice that you are suffering from these symptoms, but you or your therapist can’t pinpoint a specific traumatic event that would cause them, you might want to dig into your family history to see if there is a history of trauma you may have inherited. People may exhibit:Īll these symptoms are related to trauma, but if the trauma is not in the person’s own history, caregivers and therapists need to dig deeper to see if it stems from a family member. The symptoms of intergenerational trauma are the same as the symptoms of trauma in general. What are the Intergenerational Trauma Symptoms? This guide will delve deeper into what this is, how you can identify it and how it is best treated. you find that you or someone you love is exhibiting trauma reactions but does not have trauma in their past that you can pinpoint, it may be intergenerational trauma. This generational (intra-generational) trauma map shows how multiple generations inherit untreated trauma of Holocaust survivors. This phenomenon is known as intergenerational trauma or transgenerational trauma. For example, the children of Holocaust survivors sometimes exhibit trauma symptoms, even though they have not had any traumatic experiences. New research shows that individuals can have trauma response to something that happens not to them but to a close family member in a previous generation. A smaller portion, around 20%, will experience a more complex reaction called post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Many can move past the trauma unscathed, processing it and then moving on with their lives. The majority of people, between 70 and 90%, will experience trauma at least once in their lives. This is the body and brain’s response to the event. The American Psychiatric Association defines trauma as “exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence.” When someone experiences one of these three things or suspects they are experiencing it, even if there is no actual injury or threat, they experience a trauma response.

Intergenerational complex trauma