Did you know that when a person experiences a trauma extremely overwhelming, that you cannot contain and keep silent, do you often pass it on to other generations of your family? Traumatic events can not only have serious repercussions for those who suffer them directly, when emotions are not managed appropriately, the emotional burden they produce can be transferred to other people in the family nucleus. This is what is known as transgenerational trauma.
A person who suffers a traumatic experience can replicate those behaviors of which they were a victim with their children or other people in their family nucleus and become a victimizer. But, also, although it does not necessarily replicate this type of actions, through your DNA and unconsciously It can transmit this trauma to next generations, which can manifest itself through certain behavioral patterns or predisposition to possible disorders.
Many of the difficulties that people experience in their adult lives can be the result of unprocessed emotions or blocked traumas. And when a person inherits that emotional burden of trauma he may feel a void or an inability to adapt and live in peace without knowing why he experiences all this.
Ways in which trauma is repeated
Although apparently the trauma remains silent, since it is not talked about, Being repressed it will always be there and It manifests itself in various ways.
Pure repetition: The events are repeated in the same way. If my ancestor was imprisoned, I commit crimes.
Repetition by interpretation: the person replicates the events that he interprets to have happened. If my ancestor was hit on the head, I suffer from migraines.
Repetition by ID: the manifestation of a condition is repeated. Yes, my grandfather was an alcoholic, my father had liver problems and I suffer from hepatitis.
Repetition by opposition: They seek to do the opposite of what happened. If my ancestor was a victim of sexual abuse, I avoid any type of sexual contact.
Repetition for compensation: An attempt is made to repair what happened. If my ancestor was murdered by criminals, I become a police officer.
As you see, trauma can be expressed in various waysthat is why it is important to be attentive and seek help if necessary.
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3 keys to stop transgenerational trauma
One of the most important aspects for breaking through transgenerational trauma It is, first, to break the silence of those painful events that were not processed at the time. Learn below three key aspects so that trauma does not affect other generations.
Self-knowledge. Being able to identify those shadow aspects of our lives is essential. The work of self-knowledge allows us to identify those aspects that we must work on to avoid replicating the patterns of violence, abandonment, overprotection or others that marked our childhood and that tend to be replicated when we become parents.
Break the silence. Many times the trauma that affects a person and the following generations is related to events that generate shame in people, such as sexual abuse, for that reason it is something that is never talked about. Talking about the traumatic experience is the first step in healing wounds and preventing trauma from being transferred from one generation to another.
To look for help. To adequately process a traumatic experience, it is essential to have the help and support of a mental health professional who guides the process and provides the tools required to move towards better management of emotions.
Don’t be afraid to turn to a mental health professionalrepressing emotions does not have positive effects for you or the people who make up your family.
In it # Movement We provide valuable resources and tools to learn how to cope with and begin a process of healing the wounds that result from sexual abuse. and.