The Science of Intergenerational Trauma
Understanding Trauma
There are many different kinds of trauma that we may experience. It may be trauma that stems from one isolated incident (like a car crash or physical assault), or trauma from a sustained exposure to unsafe environments (abusive relationships, for example). There is another kind of trauma we may experience, ones that are passed from generation to generation, referred to as intergenerational trauma.
As our understanding of science deepens, it is beginning to match our understanding of lived experiences. That there may be some things in our lives that don’t seem to have anything to do with us, but with our ancestors and caregivers.
The Biological Basis of Intergenerational Trauma
With more and more research, we are better able to understand the biological and physiological pathways of Intergenerational trauma.
Epigenetics: Epigenetics is the study of how experiences and environments can change the ways that our genes are expressed. It’s the study of our genetic expression, rather than our genes themselves. While our DNA is (for the most part) unchangeable, our epigenetics can change to best suit our current environment. For example, stress and trauma can lead to epigenetic modifications that affect gene expression. A mother who experiences chronic stress or trauma can exhibit changes in her epigenetics that control her stress response expression. These epigenetic change isn the mother can be passed to her children, predisposing them to heightened stress sensitivity, even though their current environment may not call for that epigenetic expression.
Prenatal Environment: A mother’s physical and emotional state during and before pregnancy significantly impacts fetal development. During pregnancy, high levels of stress hormones, such as cortisol, can restrict the blood flow to the fetus, limiting the oxygen and nutrients available to the baby, thus impacting its development. Even before pregnancy, mothers’ experiences of chronic stress has been shown to influence the birth weight of the baby, which is linked to other health concerns like metabolic disorders.
Ancestry: There is research now indicating that the scarcity (or abundance) our ancestors experienced influence our own physiologies. For example, if your ancestors experienced famine, it continues to have metabolic consequences through many generations. Similarly, if your ancestors experienced significant trauma (such as war, genocide, colonization), those experiences are coded into our epigenetics, continuing to influence the generations that haven’t experienced that trauma.
The Psychological Basis of Intergenerational Trauma
Beyond biological mechanisms, trauma can also be inherited intergenerationally through psychological and behavioral pathways:
Attachment and Bonding: As research into attachment theory shows, the safety we may or may not experience in our childhoods by our caregivers greatly influence our psychological development and our relationship patterns later in life. When caregivers are living with unresolved trauma, they may struggle with developing a secure attachment with their children. Rather than modeling secure attachment, they may model ambivalence, avoidance, or even danger, influencing the child’s emotional and social development which can reverberate well into their adult lives.
Modeling and Communication: Children learn about the world and how to respond to it primarily through their caregivers. It makes sense - as babies, we know nothing about the world in which we exist, and it is our job to learn as much as we can about how the world works, so we can survive in it. A caregiver who has not processed their trauma might unconsciously model maladaptive coping mechanisms, like avoidance, aggression, emotional numbness, or dysregulation. These behaviors are then inherited by their children, who naturally assume that this is the way to function in the world. If you grew up in a house full of chaos, chaos becomes your normal, and calm becomes the unknown danger.
Belief Systems: One of the most salient things we inherit from our caregivers is our belief system. Belief systems can be widely varied, including our beliefs about a higher power/religion, to our beliefs about social strata, what to do in tense situations, or what is valuable and what is not. When our caregivers or ancestors have experienced trauma, it may influence their belief systems, which we then inherit. I think the car accident example is a great illustration of this. Let’s say your parent was involved in a life threatening car accident in their youth. They grow up extremely scared of cars, and never get into a car driven by a stranger, or never take their car on the freeway. Then they have their own children, and instill that belief system in their kids. The kids adopt that belief system, and believe that cars are untrustworthy, dangerous, and that they should be avoided at all costs. While the child has never been involved in a car accident, their worldview nonetheless is shaped by the belief system that they inherited from their parent - a belief system that was formed by trauma in the first place.
Breaking the Cycle of Trauma
While intergenerational trauma can seem daunting, it is not insurmountable. It is possible to break the cycle. While it’s not an exhaustive list, here’s some ways you can break the cycle:
Therapy: Therapeutic support can be life changing for those of us who have experienced trauma. If you have experienced a traumatic event in your own lifetime, it can be extremely helpful to process that experience in a safe therapeutic space. Not only for you, but also for your future children (should you choose to have any). Also you may notice that you are repeating unhealthy or maladaptive patterns in your own lives that you witnessed in your home growing up. Therapy can be a great place to unlearn those patterns and adopt new ones.
Stress Reduction: If you are pregnant or thinking about having children in the future, minimizing stress in your life can have profound impacts on your future children. Take a look at your current relationships, work, and other areas of your life that may be causing you stress. If you are in the position to do something about those stressors, do what you can to minimize that stress. If you don’t have the ability to change those circumstances, even practices such as mindfulness, yoga, and meditation can help reduce stress and promote emotional regulation.
Education and Support Groups: Knowledge is power. The more you know, the more you can do something about it. Educating yourself brings things into your conscious awareness, where you can make conscious decisions about them. Support groups can also provide the safe space that can be needed to feel empowered to make the necessary changes in your life. Knowing that you are not alone and that there are resources available can significantly alleviate feelings of isolation and helplessness and increase your sense of empowerment.
Physical Health: There’s only so much your body can do. If all your body’s energy is going towards keeping you physically intact, there’s not going to be much energy left to dedicate towards breaking intergenerational patterns. Prioritizing our physical health, through healthy diet, exercise, and sleep, allows our body to dedicate its energy to breaking patterns or other areas of mental health.
What Now?
Intergenerational trauma is a complex system, involving our biologies, environments, psychologies, parental relationships, and so many other factors. While trauma experienced by our ancestors can still influence us in our own generation, it is important to remember that the cycle can also be broken. In my practice, I see many people who come into therapy to break patterns for their future children. And I always remind them - you are worth it too. You deserve to live without these cycles too. Lastly, I always like to add - just as it’s possible to inherit traumas, you also inherit blessings. Any conversation about intergenerational trauma is incomplete without a conversation about intergenerational strengths and blessings too. If you are curious about exploring your own intergenerational patterns, please reach out for a free phone consultation.