17 Signs of Generational Trauma

TRAUMA IS AN EMOTIONAL response that occurs when you experience a distressing event, Sometimes, trauma gets passed down through families.  Generational trauma isn’t a diagnosable mental health disorder, but it can nonetheless manifest in many different ways and affect individuals and families as a whole for a very long time. Trauma refers to stress that’s so overwhelming and severe that it impacts your emotional, mental, physical, spiritual, and other parts of your well-being, “Trauma is individualistic and is not confined by ethnicity or socioeconomic status. Therefore, anyone can experience generational trauma." Very little attention has been paid to how structural racism and its consequences may contribute to the intergenerational transmission of depression.  Cumulative trauma is the idea of “historical trauma,” which refers to intergenerational trauma experienced by a group of individuals who have been systematically oppressed in previous generations. Generational trauma can affect people in different ways. As we look at these 17 signs of generational trauma, know that action should be directed toward policies that dismantle structurally racist institutions and practices, including a mental health care system that is equitable and generate knowledge to understand the intergenerational course of depression among historically racially and ethnically minoritized families.  Anxiety can trigger depression and other behavioral, physical, and mental health issues. It is especially hard if you are dealing with other personal, work, relationship, or family-related issues. Please be aware that it is okay to ask for help.