Did you know that trauma can be passed down from generation to generation? It is referred to as generational trauma. It is basically another term that allows you to place blame on family members for all of your “problems.” JUST KIDDING. Really, I am.
However, I know many people (myself included) who have blamed their parents for many of their issues. Can you relate? Have you ever thought – –
“If only . . . my parents would have pushed me harder or maybe you’ve thought, if only they would not have pushed me so hard, or if only they would have been better at expressing how much they loved me or if only they would not have been so overbearing with their love, or if only they would not have gotten divorced or maybe you feel it would have better if they would have gotten divorced – then I would fill in the blank – – be happier, be healthier, be smarter, be stronger, be more positive, be more successful, less messed up, have a better marriage, etc.”
However, what if there’s unhealed generational trauma that affects how your parents raised you?
Generational trauma is trauma that is passed on to us from prior generations, from our ancestors. For instance, if a parent experiences trauma such as abuse, neglect, or poverty and they do not heal the effects of that trauma, it will get passed on to their children. So, even if their children did not directly experience the abuse, neglect, or poverty, they will feel the effects of the trauma. This will look like not feeling safe, having a scarcity mindset, not trusting, hoarding, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, etc. If not healed in their children, the trauma will continue to be passed on to the next generation the next generation, and so on.
There’s more and more research regarding generational trauma. Here are just a few of the findings:
- Studies have shown children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors have different stress hormone profiles, which predispose them to anxiety disorders.
- The sons of soldiers who endured grueling conditions as prisoners of war were more likely to die young than the sons of soldiers who were not prisoners.
- Scientists trained mice to associate the scent of cherry blossoms with the fear of receiving an electric shock. The offspring of the mice were more sensitive to the scent, even though they didn’t receive the shock training. The mice appear to have inherited the fear.
Generational trauma is something I am grateful for being AWARE of. It has allowed me the opportunity to heal it so I can detach from and release the trauma that is not mine. It has also helped me to see my parents (and myself) in a more compassionate, loving light. It reminds me that we are all doing our best.
So, how can generational trauma be healed? I have found energetic, intuitive soul healing to be the most powerful. Everything is energy, and this energy is always shifting and changing. When we don’t heal, process, and move through trauma, its energy gets stuck in our cells, tissues, and bodies. This is why energetically healing the trauma can free you from the negative effects trauma has on your emotional, spiritual, mental, and physical well-being.
One of the reasons I love and am passionate about intuitive soul healing is that you don’t need to know what the specific trauma was or pinpoint the origin of the trauma on a conscious level to heal it. The important thing is to be aware that you have trauma to heal and the desire to heal it.
“People are doing the best that they can from their own level of consciousness.” Deepak Chopra