Introduction
The greatest burden a child must bear is the unlived life of its parents - Carl Jung
I have always wondered why some people get angry very easily, take offense at almost everything, or always take things personally. Some cannot listen or see another point of view, while others try to push people down to feel superior, and sometimes even become narcissistic.
The more I looked into it, the more I realized a lot of this comes from childhood, the way they were treated and what they were taught. Some children never experience what it means to be truly loved or how it feels to love someone else.
It is very sad to see, especially around my environment. Of course, this is not always the case, but for many people, childhood shapes a lot of their behaviors.
Sometimes monsters aren't made, they're shaped by the past before they even know it
If we look at relationship issues, we often see the same pattern. Two adults are triggered by each other because their inner child is trying to be seen, reacting to old wounds, barely surviving the emotional triggers of the moment.
This is why therapy often starts by looking at childhood. Many patterns, behaviors, and emotional reactions come from early experiences.
Enough introductin... let's try to understand what generational trauma is.
What is Generational Truama
Generational trauma (also called family trauma) happens when the effects of a traumatic event pass from one generation to another. Over time, it can build up and become stronger, making it harder to heal.
Many things can cause this kind of trauma, for example:
- historical events like war or natural disasters
- unspeakable family secrets
- hidden family shame
- violence
All of these can leave physical and emotional scars. These scars can affect you or your children unless the cycle is broken, healing happens, and closure is found from the source of the trauma.
Thanks for reading this far! 🙏
I am struggling a bit here since English is not my first language, and making it make sense takes twice as much effort as writing in my native language :) . I hope what I shared gives you some ideas to think about, even if it's not complete yet. I will continue writing soon.
If you want to learn more about this topic, here is a video I recommend you check out: Breaking the Cycle of Generational Trauma | Candice Jones | TEDxLSSC.
If you have thoughts, experiences, or ideas about this topic, please feel free to share them, I would really love to hear from you!. Thank you.