Intergenerational trauma and the lasting effects of systemic oppression affect many people; and BIPOC (black, indigenous, and people of color) are disproportionately affected due to a long history of inequity throughout the world. Intergenerational trauma is psychological damage (such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD) caused by exposure to traumatic events such as abuse, colonization, slavery, discrimination, natural disasters, systemic racism/oppression, and war experienced by previous generations. This kind of collective trauma lives in the bodies of those affected and can show up in various ways. Although many inequalities are still present in the world today there are wellness practices that can support you in the healing and coping of intergenerational trauma. Tending to this deep-rooted trauma can support psychological and mental well-being.
What is Intergenerational Trauma?
Intergenerational trauma explains how traumatic experiences of past generations can trickle down and influence the present generation’s psychological well-being. One way this trauma gets passed down is through epigenetic changes or changes to the DNA. Essentially, this implies that genes pass down trauma from the previous generations to the next generations. The wounds of the historical trauma that BIPOC have disproportionately faced leave them with increased vulnerability to intergenerational traumatic stress. For example, studies have documented epigenetic changes due to chronic stress and nutritional deficiencies of Black Americans during slavery in the United States. These epigenetic changes have led to poor physical and mental health outcomes among Black Americans.
Read more about intergenerational trauma and how it gets passed along.
What Are the Signs/Symptoms of Intergenerational Trauma?
Signs and symptoms of intergenerational trauma can be a lack of self‐worth, anxiety, depersonalization, or feeling detached from yourself and your surroundings, depression, emotional numbness, impaired life skills (e.g., critical thinking, decision-making, or managing your time), and PTSD symptoms (e.g., feeling socially isolated, having negative thoughts, or losing interest in hobbies). Additionally, there is some evidence to show that generational trauma can affect the functioning of the immune system.
Present Day Systemic Oppression and Intergenerational Trauma
Taking into account the ongoing reality of systemic oppression compounded with the burden of intergenerational trauma, there is an increased vulnerability to trauma among BIPOC and a need for healing/coping tools and strategies. Systemic oppression includes harassment, discrimination, prejudice, and other forms of unequal treatment that affect historically underserved groups. This typically leads to disparities in wealth, the criminal justice system, employment, housing, health care, politics and education. In the present, systemic oppression continues to invalidate, and deeply affect the lives of BIPOC.
Read more the how systemic oppression affects mental health.
Tools to Cope and Heal from Intergenerational Trauma
How does one completely let their armor down and heal from the intergenerational trauma of racism, war, colonization, etc when there is still ongoing injustice from interacting with oppressive systems? Quite frankly, the answer isn’t to let your guard down as you navigate these systems completely. Instead, the answer can be allowing yourself additional intentional space for embodied healing from this trauma. The following wellness practices can support you in finding that intentional space.
Connecting to your physical body
Many BIPOC carry lineages of intergenerational trauma that result in struggling to connect with, love, and see their bodies. Intergenerational trauma chronically shifts the nervous system from a calm and grounded state to a state of hyper-vigilance and tension. Reclaiming your relationship with your body through self-regulation tools can be a powerful antidote to this chronic dysregulation. Practices such as body scans, pelvic floor relaxation techniques, and deep belly breathing can support you in tuning into your inner world and relaxing chronic tension/hyper-vigilance from intergenerational wounding.
Reestablishing your connection to lineage
Because of the trauma caused by colonization and enslavement, there have been long-lasting imprints on successive generations. Intergenerational trauma often causes the nervous system to chronically shift from a calm and grounded state to a state of hypervigilance and tension. Regaining a sense of connectedness to that resilience of past generations can come through spirituality, meditation, affirmation, or simply learning about the lineage through books or movies.
Finding a sense of community
Knowing you’re not alone can support individuals’ processes and heal intergenerational trauma. Finding space for collective healing in the community can be a powerful antidote and strong coping tool. Because the trauma resulted from a collective experience, it can be helpful to embrace connecting with others with whom you feel safe sharing your experiences. This can look like finding a support group, seeking out family members who share your history, or finding aligned groups/organizations that offer healing circles/practices.
Finding a culturally competent mental health professional
Engaging in culturally competent therapy is an important part of healing from intergenerational trauma. Seeking out a provider who understands how intergenerational trauma plays in the physiological and psychosocial health of BIPOC is important. Culturally competent psychotherapy is an approach that centers on principles related to empowerment, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness, and safety. These resources intend to reduce the long-lasting burdens of trauma.
Read more about tools for BIPOC to heal from intergenerational trauma.
With the burden of present-day systemic oppression, BIPOC healing from intergenerational trauma can often feel overwhelming. However, with tools like reclaiming your body, reestablishing the connection to your lineage, finding a sense of community, and finding a culturally competent therapist, the burden can feel lighter. Further, choosing to do this healing work can help end the cycle for future generations.
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How will you make intentional space for yourself to heal from intergenerational trauma? Join in the conversation in the comments below!
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1 comment
Thank you so much for sharing your insights. It was so helpful to learn about the signs of intergenerational trauma so I don’t miss any potential symptoms in my clients.