Note From The Author

This post is a simplification of a very complex topic.

The original post was written by Dr. Claude R. Shema, and can be accessed HERE. This version is rewritten in Plain English by Allana Shewfelt. We have changed some words so that more people can begin to learn about Trauma and Intergenerational Trauma.

Some people who might benefit from this are:

• People who learned English as a second language

• Young people

• People not familiar with Psychology concepts or terms

• People with learning or reading disabilities

• People who want overall ideas, rather than specific details

We do not want to water-down or weaken these important ideas, but changing some words means we cannot fully explain them. If you want to learn more, we recommend reading the original post, or the source material.

What Is Trauma?

When psychologists say “trauma”, they are usually talking about a specific time when something terrible happened to a person. Those terrifying events can leave physical or emotional scars. 

Trauma can change how we think, how we behave, or how our bodies act. A traumatic event can be something that happened once, or something that happened over and over again. Also, the same event can change people in different ways.

Example 1. When Jane was a child, her father screamed at her often. She didn’t know what would make him scream. Now, Jane always talks in a quiet voice. If somebody is loud, she feels scared and freezes.

Example 2. When John was a teenager, he was hit by a car while riding his bike. At first, he had nightmares and didn’t want to ride his bike anymore. He kept riding, even though he was scared. Now, he has no problems, but he prefers to ride on pathways instead of the road.

What is Intergenerational Trauma? And why is it different?

“Intergenerational trauma” is a term that describes how events that change people’s thoughts, feelings, actions, and bodies can be passed on from one age group to the next. Even if the younger people didn’t actually live through the terrifying moments, they can still have the scars.

“Intergenerational” means “between ages”. So, it is also sometimes called generational, historical, or multigenerational trauma.

Trauma can stick around for a long time. Even things that happened to distant ancestors can be passed down through a family or community. 

How Does Trauma Get Passed Down?

Because brains are so complex, scientists are still figuring out all of the different ways that trauma gets passed down. They have learned that there isn’t just one right answer, but actually lots of things that work together to pass on information to our brains and bodies.

The different ways are called “factors”, and because there are so many, scientists say the process is “multifactorial”.

Some of these factors are environmental and some are biological.

Some Environmental Factors

In psychology, the environment doesn’t always mean the place where we live. Here, it means actions and things around us that shape how we think and act, like:

• Parenting Styles 

The way parents connect to, talk to, and care for their kids.

• Family Dynamics

The things a family is comfortable talking about, and how they treat each other.

• Coping

An action that helps someone feel calm and safe. It might be helpful in the moment, but can become unhelpful after a while. 

• Community

This is the most complex environmental factor, it includes

• The shared memories a group has, including traumatic events like war, genocide, slavery.

• The beliefs that people in a community have about how to behave towards themselves and each other.

• How other people’s actions from outside the community impact the group, like racism or poverty.

All of these environmental factors can change our Learned Behaviors.

Imagine:

Jane’s dad survived slavery. While he was growing up, he was badly hurt and yelled at often.

This fear made him confused about his feelings. He never learned how to talk about them, or how to calm himself down. Sometimes he lashes out at Jane in the same way people lashed out at him.

Jane learned the world is scary, and began to hide from loud people.

Jane is a mother now, but she gets scared even when her son, John, cries. It’s so loud that Jane has to go to her room and wait for John to stop.

John notices that his mom leaves whenever he has big feelings. He doesn’t want to be alone, so he stops showing all of his feelings.

This helps John be closer to Jane at first, but as he gets older he can’t connect well with other kids. They can’t tell when he is happy, sad, or angry, so they treat him differently.

Because he feels lonely, John becomes angry at himself and all of the people in the world. 

The trauma his grandfather experienced was passed down to John through his environment.

Some Biological Factors

Biology is anything to do with the living or natural world. These are things that change our bodies, starting from birth, without having to be taught by someone else.

• Location and Resources

The good and bad things in the place we live, and how easy it is to get things we need like food, water, and shelter.

• Genetics

The genes, information, we get from each of our parents' bodies that tells our body how to act. 

How our brains are pre-programed to work.

• Epigenetics

Small changes to how our bodies read and use the genes we got from our parents. This can change what information we might pass on to our future kids. 

Imagine:

Jane’s dad is very tall with dark skin. These genes mean she should likely grow up to be tall with dark skin, too. But Jane was born and lived in a poor area. She didn’t have enough food to eat as a child, so her body didn’t have enough energy. As an adult, she has dark skin, but she is short.

Intergenerational Trauma Can Look Like…

Trauma can show up in many different ways. It can be different even for people in the same family or community.

Here are just a few examples:

• Anxiety and guilt

• Depression

• Low self-esteem

• Hypervigilance (Looking out for danger more than most people. Noticing lots of details. Trying to control all the things happening around us.)

• Difficulty handling emotions

• Relationship troubles and attachment issues

• Substance abuse (drugs, alcohol)

• Shame and feelings of helplessness

• Minimizing your struggles (Saying that your own troubles aren’t a big deal)

• Disconnection from one's history, culture, or origins (Being kept away from or avoiding things that link you to your community)

Over-identification with the trauma experienced by previous generations

Trauma and Intergenerational Trauma are complex, but their effects can be managed with the right tools and support. Next week we will provide another simplified post on treatments that can help us manage symptoms of trauma.

If you are looking for support, connect with us at 587-333-6349.

Disclaimer

Our content is for informational and educational purposes and is not a replacement for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you're facing mental health concerns, please seek help from a qualified professional for personalized guidance. Every individual's situation is unique, so use the information here at your discretion. While we strive for accuracy, the field of psychology is ever-evolving, and our content may not always reflect the latest research. Please prioritize your privacy by avoiding sharing personal information in comments or interactions. Your well-being is our top concern, so use our content for educational purposes, but remember to rely on professionals for your specific needs.