Trauma is a human experience that lives in our bodies, our spirit and reproduces through our relationships and intergenerationally.

What is Trauma?

Trauma is a mind-body reaction. It occurs when events overwhelm an individual’s ability to cope with emotions, sensations, and other information connected with the experience. Trauma is not a reaction of choice. There are two categories relating to trauma.

“Big T” Trauma:

“Big T” trauma might include sexual assault and abuse, natural disaster, car crash, death of a loved one (particularly if sudden), medical emergency or serious diagnosis, job loss, violence (enduring, witnessing or perpetrating), betrayal or breach of trust.

“Little t” Trauma:

“Little t” trauma might include bullying, troubled relationships and breakups, poverty or money worries, addictions (yours or someone you love), racism, homophobia and other forms of chronic oppression.

Intergenerational Trauma refers to multigenerational trauma that gets passed down by those who experience it first hand and to subsequent generations. This includes effects for the individual, family members or the collective trauma impacting the larger community, culture, race, ethnicity or groups.

South Asian history is steeped in trauma. India experienced two centuries of British Colonial rule until Independence was gained August 15, 1947. Prior to colonial rule, India was a self-sufficient and thriving economy known as the golden eagle and well established on the work map through the export of goods.

During colonial rule, South Asians suffered poverty, malnutrition, disease, cultural upheaval, exploitation, political disadvantage and overall programming aimed at creating a sense of social and racial inferiority. Traumas experienced by South Asians being the Great Bengal Famine of 1770 which wiped out an estimated 10 million people, religious war, The British Raj, Partition (an estimated one million people died during this time), slavery, sexual and physical violence and the expulsion of Ugandan Asians. Feelings of powerlessness and disintegration of identity created ancestral trauma continuing to show up generationally in the psychological turmoil still felt today.

Bessel Van Der Kolk coined “speechless terror”, where trauma quite literally shuts down the speech centres, creating an experience of being lost for words.

How is it that trauma experienced by our ancestors is showing up psychologically in subsequent generations? The role of Epigenetics explains this psychological phenomenon.

Epigenetics refers to the study of heritable changes in gene expressions. Recent studies demonstrate that traumatic events can induce genetic changes in the parents, which then may be transmitted to their children within the DNA with the associated adverse effects. Epigenetics can be traced up to three generations back.

Symptoms of Intergenerational Trauma:

• People pleasing, inferiority complex and submissiveness
• Substance abuse
• Overachieving tendencies
• Anxiety and depression
• Lack of trust of others
• Irritability and anger
• Nightmares
• Difficulties in relationships and relating to others

Healing Intergenerational Trauma

The first thing to know is that this trauma took generations to form so it will take time to reverse the impacts and heal.

Tips:

• End the secrecy. To heal, families need to share the extent of the issues of the past
• Name and talk about the impact
• Identify and learn about symptoms of trauma such as anxiety, substance abuse, anger, violence and depression.
• Work together instead of blaming. The goal is not to create victims and perpetrators but to improve family health and wellness for the current members and future generations.
• Correct past mistakes so that the family does not perpetuate unhealthy trauma habits
• Develop practices of mindfulness, compassion and healthy habits
• Work with professionals who are trained to treat trauma

Know that you are not alone. By healing ourselves we heal the next generation to follow.

“Your survival response is not a moral failing. An abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is normal behavior.” — Viktor Frankel

Angie Holstein, MSW, RSW, Psychotherapist

Creating change can feel overwhelming, but through supportive, non-judgmental dialogue, you can begin to better cope with the feelings, thoughts and behaviour patterns associated with your life’s challenges.