Perhaps you’ve been struggling with your mental health. You’ve noticed that your symptoms seem eerily familiar. Maybe your mother, father, or other relatives dealt with similar symptoms when you were growing up. But you didn’t realize that these behaviors were indicative of a mental health condition.

Or maybe you’ve been giving in to habits that don’t serve you, and upon reflection, you’ve realized that you might be playing out patterns that you observed in your house growing up.

Sometimes, these detrimental behaviors or mental health struggles are a result of generational trauma. If you’ve observed the same pattern throughout your family tree, there’s a good chance that the problem did not start with you, and it’s not a coincidence that you’re dealing with these symptoms now.

Let’s explore what generational trauma really is and how you can take steps toward breaking this cycle.

What Is Generational Trauma?

Overall, the term “generational trauma” describes a form of trauma that is effectively “passed down” through multiple generations of a family. Young people may pick up on certain habits, beliefs, or traits from their parents, grandparents, and extended family.

They may not be aware that these behaviors or thought patterns are necessarily harmful. Because these beliefs or habits have been normalized within the family, young people may not realize that their mental health is suffering until well into adulthood.

What Causes Generational Trauma?

Generational trauma can have varied causes. For example, it could refer to multiple generations of relatives inflicting abuse upon each other and being unable to break this pattern for decades and decades. It could also refer to a certain generation of the family living through a traumatic societal event, such as a war or genocide.

When younger generations learn about this event, it could shift their worldview and perspective, causing them to develop a different outlook that has been influenced by the trauma that their ancestors experienced.

The Symptoms of Generational Trauma

There are no symptoms that are exclusive to generational trauma. The symptoms of almost any mental health condition could be indicative of generational trauma if the individual’s parents, grandparents, or other ancestors dealt with these symptoms, too.

Some people also struggled with an undefined sense of loss if their ancestors survived conflict. They may feel like they have lost certain ties to their culture or homeland.

Breaking the Cycle

If you have realized that you’re struggling with generational trauma, you might be wondering how to break the cycle. Identifying the specific patterns that are rooted in trauma is the first step to healing. Sometimes, you may need to remove yourself from a toxic environment in order to achieve this.

If you are living with family members who are harming your mental health, leaving is not easy. This does not mean you have to cut ties with your family altogether. But thinking of ways that you can set healthy boundaries and reclaim your agency is key.

Therapy for Generational Trauma

Overcoming generational trauma on your own is not easy. You do not have to try to break these cycles by yourself. Sometimes, family members have been affected by the same trauma for hundreds of years. Fixing this entirely on your own is not a burden that you have to take on.

Instead, consider seeking out a therapist who helps their clients free themselves from the cycles of intergenerational trauma. In some cases, you may want to consider seeking family therapy with relatives who are committed to healing.

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Are you struggling to overcome generational trauma? Working with a therapist can help. Reach out to us to discuss your options for scheduling your first session for trauma therapy,