Do you sometimes wonder why you feel anxious despite not having anything to feel anxious about? Do you wonder how you could be struggling so much in your adult life despite having had a “normal“ childhood? If you answered yes to either of these questions you may suffer from what is known as intergenerational trauma, so please read on.

What is Intergenerational Trauma in the First Place?

Intergenerational trauma occurs when parents or their ancestors have experienced terrible trauma, such as the holocaust, and the effects of it wind up getting passed onto future generations. In this situation, there is no current life experience for children that is traumatizing for them, but the fact that the parents or their ancestors have been through some emotional devastation has its effects on the offspring.

Intergenerational Trauma is Now at All-time Highs

When you think about all of the devastation going on in the world, all the way from individual ecosystems causing families to have to flee their homelands to countries being devastated by war and genocide, you get an idea of how bad intergenerational trauma is and has become. It helps that we are more aware of trauma and are able to define it more clearly than at any time in the past, but looking at rates of drug overdoses, suicides, and gun violence points to this situation being most likely worse than ever.

How to Cope with Intergenerational Trauma

Most people don’t know that they’re experiencing intergenerational trauma, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t suffer because from it. Often it takes being in therapy and having a trusted therapist identify the possibility of this being the case with a them before they start to realize this is something they suffer from. Regardless, even though it didn’t directly happen to you, there are ways to cope with it. If you tend to suffer from anxiety, then learning relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, and practicing yoga are ways to help to offset the effects of what’s happened to previous generations. If you suffer from addictions or other compulsions that have their root potentially in this kind of phenomena, then finding a support group to help you through it is critical. Often getting started in therapy to address the effects of it in your life can be extremely helpful also. Basically, anything that helps with regular trauma is good for dealing with the kind that’s affected your ancestors.

Guilt and Intergenerational Trauma

One of the obvious concerns that comes up is when people feel guilt and/or shame because of generational trauma. You don’t really have anything to feel guilty or ashamed of, but you can still be beleaguered by it. The guilt and the shame may not have anything to do with what the intergenerational trauma actually was about. If there was some sort of famine with your ancestors, then the guilt or the shame may be about overindulging in alcohol, other drugs, or addictions…or something else. The thing to understand is that these feelings are normal with trauma, regardless of the cause. The main thing here is to find ways to cope with it that are healthy and positive instead of unhealthy and self-destructive. 

What To Do If You Continue to Struggle with Intergenerational Trauma

I’ve worked with my clients for the entirety of my career on some aspect of intergenerational trauma, and I can most likely help you identify the source of yours. It can sometimes take a long time to identify where the trauma could’ve come from, but it can be very helpful to understand that you are not to blame for it. I encourage you to call the number at the top of the page or fill out a form below to request a free, 20 minute phone consult, and I can help you get a better idea of whether I can help you with your own situation of trauma, regardless of what the source is. The main thing is to stop the cycle of trauma from continuing to progress through the generations, starting with you. So do what you need to do to help take care of yourself, and I wish you the best whatever you do.

Visit our page on trauma therapy to learn more about how Scott can help you with intergenerational trauma.

About the author:  Scott Kampschaefer, LCSW is a private practice therapist in Frederick, Maryland.  He has an extensive background in working with depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder at a clinic for older adults with these disorders in Austin, Texas.  He now works with adults and adolescents 14 and up in private practice. His most recent book is titled The 5 Pillars of Addiction Recovery and is available for purchase on Amazon and in paperback on this website.