The Ghosts We Carry: Understanding Intergenerational Trauma

By Lauren Carr

TRIGGER WARNING: Trauma and Loss

In my trauma and crisis class in my graduate program, I was introduced to intergenerational trauma, which changed the way I think about mental health. As counselors incorporating intergenerational trauma, we look not only at the individual but also at how family history and previous generations may influence them.

While learning about this topic in class, I read It Didn’t Start with You by Mark Wolynn. The book helped me understand how trauma can affect individuals and families across generations. Before learning about intergenerational trauma, I was unaware of how much family experiences can influence a person’s perception of themselves, behaviors, and emotional well-being.

What Is Intergenerational Trauma?

Intergenerational trauma is trauma that can affect future generations even when they were not directly exposed to the original traumatic event (Isobel et al., 2020). Trauma can affect individuals psychologically, emotionally, and physiologically, and researchers have explored how these effects may influence future generations.

Traumatic experiences such as war, genocide, abuse, loss, and displacement can have lasting effects on families. For example, research involving descendants of Holocaust survivors has explored how the effects of these experiences may continue across generations. Intergenerational trauma does not mean someone is destined to experience the same trauma as their ancestors. Instead, it encourages us to consider how family history, relationships, environment, coping patterns, and biological processes may influence our experiences today (DeAngelis, 2019; Wolynn, 2016).

Uncovering Your Own Intergenerational Trauma

If you are interested in exploring your family history, consider talking with a mental health professional. Learning about traumatic family experiences can be meaningful, but it can also bring up difficult emotions. Asking questions and learning family stories may help you understand patterns you were previously unaware of. However, it is important to take care of yourself throughout the process and seek professional support if the experience becomes overwhelming.

Resources

• Nebraska Mental Health Centers – Individual, family, and couples counseling. Call 402-483-6990 to schedule an appointment.

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Call or text 988 for emotional crisis support.

• SAMHSA National Helpline – Call 1-800-662-4357 for mental health and substance-use resources.

• It Didn’t Start with You by Mark Wolynn – A resource for learning more about family patterns and intergenerational trauma.

I hope this brief introduction to intergenerational trauma sparks your curiosity as much as it did mine. Learning about our family history can provide another perspective for understanding ourselves and the patterns we carry. If you are interested in exploring this topic further, consider speaking with a mental health professional or exploring scholarly research.

Sometimes, understanding what came before us can help us better understand what we carry today.