![]() ![]() There was a space designed and designated for them by society and traditions their fates were sealed without their consent. My great-mother, my grand-mother and my mother were all married very young. In my family, women were married in their early teens and did not have an education. The resilience, wisdom, kindness and connection to nature I have had all my life could not possibly have come from me alone, this is a gift I received. My goal is not to lay blame but to chart a path for healing. It is also ok to recognise that parents and grandparents did not know better but yet recognise the impact of their decisions on our lives. It is ok to recognise the positive attributes that we receive and still recognise negative patterns we want to change. I just want to make it clear that we don’t only inherit trauma but also the joys, values and resilience of our ancestors. In Bamunka and Foumban in Cameroon, where I spent the first years of my life, resilient women who were farmers or petty traders raised many children in polygamous homes. I inherited both positive experiences and trauma from my fore parents. Illustration by psychotherapist Ayan Mukherjee horrors of war, pale in significance to the loss of a mother (Anna Freud) Intergenerational Trauma in My Family Intergenerational trauma can also impact our physical health through the nutrition habits we develop and our relationship with food. Milestones in life can greatly affect a person living with intergenerational trauma (finishing university, starting a new job, having a baby, moving to a new country, being rejected by a new partner and suffering unsurmountable grief, etc.). ![]() The individual is born with and into fears and feelings that don’t always belong to them but that shape their life in ways that they are not always conscious of. Secrets that are kept but live and manifest themselves as poverty, being trapped in cycles of abuse, violence, depression, anxiety, self-sabotage, difficulty in relationships, etc. In families with a pattern of trauma, there are many secrets, taboos, things that are not allowed to be talked about. Although epigenetics is still a new field of study, scientists want to uncover the roots of pain so that future generations might not be impacted. Some researchers are finding evidence that mass trauma like the Holocaust, the Khmer Rouge killings in Cambodia, the Rwandan genocide, the displacement of American Indians and the enslavement of African-Americans, historical trauma of First Nations of Canada, colonialism have intergenerational impacts that are psychological, familial, social, cultural, neurobiological and possibly even genetic as well. Intergenerational trauma can affect a family, a community or a people. Intergenerational trauma in families often happens in an overarching societal context which offers the setting that facilitates trauma to be passed down (poverty, patriarchy, war, colonialism, slavery, genocide, etc.). They might suffer from anxiety or depression as adults without being able to pinpoint its origin, indeed intergenerational trauma in families is not easily recognised or its impact is minimised. The first victims of intergenerational trauma in families are the most fragile, i.e. Children learn to be by mimicking the adults around them but when these adults are acting from their own trauma, children pick up patterns and behaviors that become their norm. Sometimes we also inherit behavior patterns, coping strategies of our parents, grandparents who did not process their trauma. I was reflecting the other day that it is the first time the whole of humanity is facing the same threat, I hope it makes us look inside of us and connect more with ourselves and the people we love.įrom our families, we inherit genes, foundational life skills, traditions, knowledge, connections, wisdom, identity, resilience, etc. I had scheduled to write and post this some weeks ago but the Coronavirus pandemic sent me into a disregulated and anxious state like many of you. In my series of blogs raising awareness on childhood trauma, I will tackle intergenerational trauma. ![]() ![]() “ Surviving is important but thriving is elegant” Maya Angelou ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |