Episode #52: A Conversation About: Intergenerational Trauma
April 21, 2025
The X-Podcast: Real Conversations About Mental Health
A Conversation About: Intergenerational Trauma
Episode #52
In this episode, the X-Podcast team has a conversation about intergenerational trauma. They define what intergenerational trauma is and the several different terms that can be used interchangeably when referring to it. Intergenerational trauma means the transmission of trauma-related effects that span across family generations.
Individuals can experience the emotional and psychological consequences of traumatic experiences that their ancestors had to endure. This can occur even if they did not directly experience the trauma themselves. There are several ways in which this transmission occurs.
The X-Team discusses how epigenetic changes play a role in the transmission of intergenerational trauma. The Mental Health Academy explains that these traumatic experiences can lead to epigenetic changes. These changes alter gene expression, which can be passed down to future generations.
The conversation covers the relational and behavioral patterns seen in this transmission of trauma. According to Psychology Today, families can develop patterns of behavior, communication, and relationship styles that are influenced by past trauma. The cultural transmission to future generations also shapes a family through its cultural beliefs, values, and norms.
Xiomara gets into some of the mental health issues that are related to international trauma. These include anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other mental health challenges. She also discusses some of the relationship issues that can come up.
These relationship difficulties show up in patterns of communication. They also show up in learned trauma responses that can create challenges when forming and maintaining healthy relationships. Behavioral problems can also show up as substance abuse, impulsivity, and difficulty regulating emotions.
Xiomara A. Sosa
Creator, Host, and Executive Producer
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Generational trauma can challenge the mental health and overall well-being of those who experience it. It can lead to mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts, seek help immediately. Know that you are not alone and there is support for you. You can call the National Suicide Lifeline at 988 or call 911.
If you or a loved one has generational trauma, reaching out for professional support from a therapist, clinician, or another mental health professional is best. Seeking therapy for generational trauma or historical trauma can help you learn healthy coping mechanisms and begin to heal and break the patterns left by oppression, violence, and discrimination.
Family therapy can also help work to heal the entire family system.
If you or a loved one is working through trauma, seek help today. Know that you are not alone and can break the generational trauma pattern and create a new story for you and your loved ones. Talk to someone you trust and connect to professional support, whether through your healthcare provider, a therapist, or another mental health professional.
An experienced mental health professional (like a psychologist or a licensed therapist) can help you:
Trace your family’s history of trauma
Manage anger, stress, or numbness that might be tied to your family history
Discuss current-day traumas, like racism, that might be linked to the original trauma
Practice self-care techniques like mindfulness and exercise
Spot things that might trigger the effects of trauma for you and show you how to limit them
Choose a doctor or therapist who’s respectful of your culture, race, or ethnicity. Depending on your background and your goals for treatment, you may be able to find a professional who helps you reconnect with your ancestors’ culture and traditions to help you work through the grief of old traumas. Some treatment methods involve traditional healing methods and ceremonial practices.
What is Intergenerational Trauma?
Intergenerational trauma is the “passing on” of the physiological and psychological effects of trauma through generations. It can impact people who did not directly experience the trauma.
This concept acknowledges that traumatic events experienced by one generation can have lasting consequences for future generations, even if they didn't personally experience the trauma.
Intergenerational trauma highlights the enduring and far-reaching effects of trauma, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach to healing that considers both individual and collective experiences. Each generation might exhibit emotional or psychological symptoms tied to it, especially as they learn fears, responses, and coping mechanisms from their caregivers. Generational trauma is sometimes called “family trauma,” but it can be used to refer to any type of bonded community that experiences traumatic events or behaviors, even if they are not directly related.
You might also hear it called generational trauma, historical trauma, or multigenerational trauma.
It may stem from personal trauma, such as child or domestic abuse, or from trauma that a specific cultural, racial, or ethnic group endured. It’s been tied to major events like wars, slavery, the Holocaust, and colonial violence against Native Americans. It might even result from natural disasters like a flood, an earthquake, or a pandemic.
Who Does Intergenerational Trauma Affect?
Most studies of intergenerational trauma have focused on descendants of people who endured a historical traumatic event. That includes:
The Trail of Tears
Genocide
Native Americans who endured colonial massacres or had their children taken from them and placed in boarding schools due to federal policies. The Stolen Generations in Australia. The Stolen Generations (also known as Stolen Children) were the children of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were removed from their families by the Australian federal and state government agencies and church missions, under acts of their respective parliaments. The removals of those referred to as "half-caste" (multicultural/mixed) children.
The removal of native American/indigenous children from their families and placed in boarding schools in the US and stripped of their culture and whitewashed.
Holocaust survivors who survived concentration camps
African American people who lived through years of slavery, segregation, or systemic racism
Japanese Americans who were forced to live in internment (detention) camps during World War II
Veterans of the Vietnam War
Does Intergenerational Trauma Affect?
Most studies of intergenerational trauma have focused on descendants of people who endured a historical traumatic event. That includes:
The Trail of Tears
Genocide
Native Americans who endured colonial massacres or had their children taken from them and placed in boarding schools due to federal policies. The Stolen Generations in Australia. The Stolen Generations (also known as Stolen Children) were the children of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were removed from their families by the Australian federal and state government agencies and church missions, under acts of their respective parliaments. The removals of those referred to as "half-caste" (multicultural/mixed) children.
The removal of native American/indigenous children from their families and placed in boarding schools in the US and stripped of their culture and whitewashed.
Holocaust survivors who survived concentration camps
African American people who lived through years of slavery, segregation, or systemic racism
Japanese Americans who were forced to live in internment (detention) camps during World War II
Veterans of the Vietnam War
Some experts say we need more research into transgenerational trauma among relatives of people with disabilities. Throughout history, some groups of disabled people have gone through trauma due to things like groundless biases, discrimination, forced sterilization, or psychiatric treatment, and more.
It’s also thought that intergenerational trauma can also affect family members of people who’ve endured traumas such as:
Murder or rape
Natural disasters
Physical, sexual, or mental abuse
Substance abuse
Abandonment or neglect
Serious injury, illness, or untreated mental illness
Poverty and food insecurity
What Is an Example of Ancestral Trauma?
One of the most well-known cases of generational trauma dates back to the mass enslavement of African Americans. The violence, oppression, discrimination, and racism towards African Americans for generations have had lasting impacts on individuals in the community. Descendants of enslaved peoples experience higher rates of fear, hopelessness, anger, anxiety, helplessness, mental health problems, and more.
Another example of generational trauma is when children of Holocaust survivors experience extreme stress beyond their personal life experiences. For example, they may practice survivalism even though they are generationally removed from the Holocaust.
Families affected by ongoing issues like violence, racism, and systemic oppression as a result.
The Harms of Indian Boarding Schools
Between 1869 and the 1960s, hundreds of thousands of Native American children were removed from their homes and families and placed in boarding schools operated by the federal government and the churches. Though we don't know how many children were taken in total, by 1900 there were 20,000 children in Indian boarding schools, and by 1925 that number had more than tripled.
The U.S. Native children that were voluntarily or forcibly removed from their homes, families, and communities during this time were taken to schools far away where they were punished for speaking their Native language, banned from acting in any way that might be seen to represent traditional or cultural practices, stripped of traditional clothing, hair and personal belongings and behaviors reflective of their native culture.
They suffered physical, sexual, cultural, and spiritual abuse and neglect, and experienced treatment that in many cases constituted torture for speaking their Native languages. Many children never returned home, and their fates have yet to be accounted for by the U.S. government.
Latino/a/x Communities
Intergenerational trauma is a significant issue affecting many Latino/a/x communities. The emotional and psychological damage can be passed down through generations. This trauma can stem from various historical events, such as colonialism, political violence, and migration-related stressors, impacting the mental and physical health of individuals.
The legacy of colonization in Latin America has resulted in enduring psychological wounds that can be passed down through families.
Exposure to political violence, such as dictatorships or civil wars, can have a profound impact on individuals and their families, leading to intergenerational trauma.
The experience of migrating to a new country can be incredibly stressful, leading to trauma for individuals and potentially impacting future generations.
Impact on Mental Health
Intergenerational trauma can manifest in various ways, including increased rates of anxiety, depression, and PTSD in individuals and families.
Experiences of oppression and discrimination can also contribute to intergenerational trauma, affecting the mental and physical health of individuals and families.
Need for Addressing Intergenerational Trauma
Recognizing and addressing intergenerational trauma is crucial for promoting the mental and physical well-being of Latino/a/x communities.
Key aspects of intergenerational trauma
Transmission: The effects of trauma can be passed down through family lines, influencing behavior, attitudes, and even physiological responses.
Mechanisms
The exact transmission mechanisms are still being researched but may involve epigenetic changes (inherited, genes, cells, altered genes, DNA, etc.), shared family environments, and learned behaviors.
Impact
Individuals experiencing intergenerational trauma may grapple with a range of mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, attachment difficulties, and difficulty with emotional regulation.
Healing
Breaking the cycle of intergenerational trauma requires acknowledging the impact of previous generations' trauma, creating safe and supportive environments, and addressing the psychological and emotional needs of individuals affected. If you have ancestors or older relatives who went through a very distressing or oppressive event, their emotional and behavioral reactions could ripple through the generations of your family and affect you. This is called intergenerational trauma.
How Is Trauma Passed Down Through Generations?
It is believed that intergenerational transmission of trauma can be passed down through genetic changes to a person’s DNA after they experience trauma. These effects are called “epigenetic changes.” Research shows that DNA can “remember” traumatic experiences and then pass down the effects of those experiences to multiple generations, however, DNA does not carry memories of events and emotions in the same way that the mind does.
In the same way that a tree “remembers” the cut of an ax as it grows with the cut mark, future generations can carry the scars of generational trauma even if they did not experience it firsthand. The legacy of Trauma may also be passed down culturally. Over the years, family members may learn unhealthy behaviors from their parents or other family members, imitate the behaviors, and eventually teach those behaviors to their children.
What Are the Mental Health Issues with Generational Trauma?
Some mental health issues associated with generational trauma can include anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A person with generational trauma may experience feelings of shame, helplessness, and low self-esteem. They may have negative thoughts and feelings about themselves and the world around them based on the experiences they, or their loved ones, have gone through.
It can also be hard to regulate your emotions and manage stress when underlying trauma has been unaddressed and present for so long. Some patterns may feel invisible to those who use them, since they have been a part of their entire lives and the lives of their family members.
What Are the Long-Term Effects?
Intergenerational trauma could take a toll on your health in several ways. The reactions can be different for each generation, but they could include:
Shame
Anxiety and guilt
Feeling helpless or vulnerable
Low self-esteem
Depression
Higher chances of suicide
High rates of heart disease
Relationship troubles
A hard time controlling aggressive feelings
Extreme reactions to stress
Damaged cultural identity (the sense of belonging to a larger group)
Hyper-vigilance.
Difficulty trusting others.
Fear of death.
Hopelessness.
Substance abuse problems.
Mental health disorders.
Denial
Detachment and disconnection
Low self-esteem
Neglect
Abuse and violence
Difficulty communicating
Broken or self-sabotaged relationships
What Causes Intergenerational Trauma?
The exact causes aren’t clear. But some experts think the original traumatic event could affect your relatives’ relationship skills, personal behavior, and attitudes and beliefs in ways that affect future generations of your family. How your parents talk with you about the traumatic event (or fail to talk about it) and the way your family functions seem to play important roles in whether trauma gets passed down.
For example, a parent’s experience of trauma might affect their parenting skills and play a role in their children’s behavior problems.
Researchers are also looking into the possible role of “epigenetic changes.” The idea is that your environment could cause changes that affect the way your genes work, and these changes could be passed on to younger generations. Epigenetic changes can affect how your body reads a DNA sequence.
But they’re reversible and don’t change DNA sequences like gene mutations do.
What Are Three Causes of Intergenerational Trauma?
The three main causes of generational trauma include extreme events, abuse, or prolonged periods of discrimination and suffering. However, any type of trauma can trigger generational impacts depending on how the victims learn to cope with its effects.
Common causes of intergenerational trauma can include
Domestic violence
Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
Oppression
Racism
War
Natural disasters
Genocide or slavery
What Is the Typical Course of Intergenerational Trauma?
Generational trauma typically starts with adverse childhood experiences, such as child abuse, which then impacts how the victims take care of and teach the next generation. When victims become adults, experiences such as childhood trauma impact their decisions, how they feel, and even the way they perceive and handle relationships. As these victims begin families or communities of their own, they carry with them the “survival skills” they were forced to acquire growing up in an unsafe environment.
These skills can include things like hyper-vigilance, people-pleasing, defensiveness, and more.
As they become parents and leaders, the collective trauma and its effects are then passed down to their children, their children’s children, and so on.
How Do You Get Generational Trauma?
Generational trauma can be passed down both genetically and culturally. Traumatic responses are often thought of as being completely tied to personal experiences. However, research shows that generational trauma can be passed down through a person’s DNA to their offspring through epigenetic changes.
When a person or group of people experience traumatic experiences like war, racism, sexism, natural disasters, abuse, or oppression, the effects of the trauma can be passed down through generations, even when later generations have not experienced it firsthand.
Is PTSD Inherited?
PTSD is not directly inherited, but genetics can make someone more likely to develop PTSD after a traumatic experience. Some people may inherit traits that affect how they handle stress and fear, which can increase their risk of PTSD. A family history of mental health issues like anxiety or depression can also make PTSD more likely.
The effects of trauma are passed down through families and can play a role. This means that trauma experienced by one generation may impact the mental health of future generations, increasing the risk of PTSD.
What Are Generational Trauma Patterns or Cycles of Trauma?
Generational trauma patterns or cycles of trauma are unhealthy behaviors and relationship styles that are passed down through families when trauma isn’t properly healed. When a closely-knit group experiences a significant trauma, like abuse, violence, or discrimination, the emotional impact can affect future generations, even if they didn’t directly experience the first traumatic event themselves.
Common generational trauma patterns include
Avoiding emotions. Family members may avoid talking about feelings or the trauma, leading to emotional suppression. Without a healthy example of how to communicate, the next generation will likely continue to suppress their own emotions.
Unhealthy coping. This can show up as substance abuse, aggression, or withdrawing from others to manage stress or pain. These behaviors quickly turn into cycles of anger and distrust throughout multiple generations of a community.
Trust and relationship issues. People may struggle to form healthy relationships because of unresolved trauma, including their relationships with their parents and children.
Family members may follow the same patterns as their parents or grandparents, even without consciously realizing that they are mirroring those behaviors. It is incredibly difficult to break a cycle of generational trauma because it is often deep-rooted and widespread across multiple parts of their life, especially when the trauma affects their entire community. When everyone around them is using the same unhealthy ways of communicating and processing their emotions, it is nearly impossible for a young member of a traumatized community to learn a better route without getting external help.
However, it is always possible to break these patterns and heal from the trauma that has been present throughout the history of your family and community. Finding support groups and exploring therapy options can help you to get a perspective that steps outside of the broken lens of generational trauma to help you find what skills you need to live a healthier life.
Generational trauma can be different and unique to each and different group of people. While something may not seem severely traumatic to someone from an outside perspective, the mental, emotional, and interpersonal damage is very real. Some people may have generational trauma from one single incident; others may have it from long and repeated experiences of different traumatic experiences.
What Are the Lasting Effects of Generational Trauma?
Generational trauma can also put a person at a higher risk of mental health conditions and substance use problems, including addiction. Prolonged exposure to stress and trauma can put a person at risk of severe mental and physical health conditions. Toxic family dynamics, for example, can put a near-constant strain on family members.
What Are the Physiological Effects of Intergenerational Trauma?
Both stress and trauma can increase the chance of a person having chronic pain, illnesses, and conditions like heart disease and diabetes. Generational trauma can also lead to unhealthy behaviors, including substance use disorders and addiction. Some people may turn to substances and alcohol to cope with unacknowledged or suppressed feelings and trauma that may be underlying, and as a result, it can lead to unhealthy cycles that can be passed down to other generations.
What Are the Neurological Effects of Intergenerational Trauma?
Communications Biology states, “Intergenerational trauma increases lifetime susceptibility to depression and other psychiatric disorders.” Over time, stress and trauma can rewire the brain and alter the activity of important systems, which impact a person’s emotional, mental, and physical well-being.
Can You Get PTSD from Generational Trauma?
Generational trauma may lead to symptoms related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Common symptoms of PTSD can include:
Agitation
Nervousness and anxiety
Difficulty concentrating or thinking
Memory problems
Mood swings
Depression
Nightmares
Unwanted memories of trauma
Avoidance
Breaking Generational Trauma
It is possible to break the cycle of generational trauma. Breaking generational trauma takes intense work and effort. To break generational trauma, a person has to understand the underlying problem, learn how to work through it, and learn ways to prevent and treat the root cause of the problem so that the patterns do not pass to the next generation.
How to Clear Ancestral Trauma?
Clearing ancestral trauma starts by recognizing its influence on your behaviors and emotions. Understanding your family’s history is key to identifying how trauma has been passed down.
Ancestral trauma, also known as generational or intergenerational trauma, refers to emotional and psychological wounds passed down through families due to significant past trauma, like war, abuse, or systemic oppression.
For example, seeking therapy such as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can help process traumatic memories from past generations. Mindfulness practices like deep breathing or guided meditation can increase self-awareness of inherited trauma, while journaling about family patterns and experiences can help uncover emotions tied to that trauma. Replacing harmful coping mechanisms, such as avoiding emotions or using substances to numb pain, with healthier habits like regular exercise or talking openly with trusted friends or therapists can also aid healing.
What Are the Signs of Breaking Generational Trauma?
Signs a person is breaking generational trauma patterns can include:
Ability to express and talk about their emotions
Being more open to trusting others
Decreased time isolating themselves and increased time spent with others
Ability to face their fears
Not being afraid of change
Feeling more connected with themselves and family members
What Are 3 Things That Can Be Done to Help Break Generational Trauma?
One of the most significant ways to break generational trauma is by openly and honestly communicating with your children and other family members or caregivers. Another way is to try to observe and gain awareness of your family’s patterns and whether you contribute to these patterns too. Only by uprooting the patterns you have learned from previous generations can you begin to teach younger generations how to heal.
Lastly, talking to a trauma therapist and learning healthy ways to cope and work through the trauma can give you the tools to work towards healing.
Is It Hard to Break Generational Trauma?
Breaking generational trauma is not easy to do. It can take a lot of time, patience, and effort, and can be emotionally difficult. However, you do not have to do it alone. But having support and learning new ways to cope and heal can help you improve your health and well-being, little by little.
“The stress of feeling feared by a majority population who continually gaslight you and tell you ‘we don’t discriminate’ wears on you. And when your resources are worn down, that makes it harder to give to those who matter.” – Alice Zic, MPH, LCSW
Does Generational Trauma Go Away?
Generational trauma, like an untended wound, does not go away on its own. Additionally, unacknowledged and unresolved trauma can get worse over time. It can also become worse as more and more generations become entrenched in unhealthy coping patterns. However, with support, it is possible to break the patterns that have impacted your family and community.
What Are Some Coping Mechanisms You Can Use to Heal Historical Trauma?
There are some tips and techniques that you can use to manage and heal from generational trauma, which can include:
Learning how to identify, acknowledge, and accept your trauma
Practicing mindfulness and meditation
Learning to set boundaries
Practicing self-care
Communicating and finding support from others
Historical trauma refers to multigenerational trauma that occurs in specific cultural, racial, or ethnic groups and is related to oppression and major traumatic events like slavery, the Holocaust, forced migration, or the colonization of Native Americans.
Some ways to help heal from historical trauma can include:
Connecting with people who are strong in the culture and ancestry
Finding support from others and working through grief together
Acknowledging your feelings and experiences
How Long Does It Take to Reverse Trauma?
There is no set timeline for how long it takes to reverse trauma or break generational trauma patterns. But healing from trauma doesn’t just happen overnight. It can be a long process; for some people, it may be months, and for others, it may take years.
How Many Generations Does It Take to Overcome Trauma?
No minimum or maximum number of how many generations it takes to overcome trauma exists.
If a person has generational trauma passed down from past generations, whether it be their parents or six generations ago, they can overcome trauma and break the patterns themselves.
Is Generational Trauma Real?
Yes. Research shows that the effects of trauma can be passed down to children; this is known as transgenerational trauma. Transgenerational trauma is a real thing that causes real, devastating effects on individuals and their family members. Mental and emotional struggles are often minimized by those who do not experience them firsthand.
However, both documented experiences and scientific research indicate that the shockwaves left by traumatic experiences can continue beyond one lifetime.
How Do You Uncover Generational Trauma?
Generational trauma can be seen in individuals through various symptoms such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, or self-destructive behaviors. Relationships within a family with generational trauma may involve codependency or unhealthy attachment styles. These attachment styles can cause dysfunctional family dynamics that can perpetuate the effects of generational trauma.
To uncover generational trauma, you must first identify where the traumatic responses are coming from. The sources of generational trauma, such as systematic discrimination, can be difficult to uproot, even after they are identified. The second step is to acknowledge the trauma and its impact on your life non-judgmentally. Feelings of guilt or shame can make symptoms worse.
Then, families and communities experiencing the collateral of generational trauma must seek professional support. For example, this could look like family therapy under the guidance of someone in the psychiatry field. After learning coping strategies and finding effective support systems, it becomes possible to heal.
What Does Generational Trauma Feel Like?
Generational trauma can feel different for each individual. However, it can make a person have a hard time trusting others, feel very hopeless about the future, or cause them to experience feelings of anxiety and depression. It is also important to note that generational trauma can feel different in the same person at different stages of life.
For example, the impact of unhealthy family dynamics will likely look very different to a young child than it does to an adolescent or an adult who no longer lives at home.
Does Every Family Have Generational Trauma?
No. Not every family experiences generational trauma. However, generational trauma can be more common than many people think. Generational trauma does not always have to involve one big traumatic event.
It can also happen in families who display a pattern of abuse or have experienced prolonged, complex trauma from things like economic instability or domestic conflict. Sometimes, generational trauma can continue to happen as people attempt to push away the effects of trauma, where the recovering family members experience a type of survivor’s guilt as they break the generational cycle.
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References
https://www.mentalhealthacademy.com.au/blog/epigenetics-and-intergenerational-trauma
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/intergenerational-trauma
https://www.charliehealth.com/post/what-is-intergenerational-trauma
https://healingfoundation.org.au/intergenerational-trauma/
https://www.embarkbh.com/blog/trauma/intergenerational-trauma/
https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-is-intergenerational-trauma
