Similar to how all of us inherit our physical traits– eye colour, hair colour, height, and
attributes such as intelligence and aggressiveness, we can also inherit trauma responses. The phenomenon of inheriting trauma has both biological and psychological components.
Transgenerational Trauma refers to the phenomenon of subconscious transmission of traumatic experiences from the person who experienced it to their subsequent generations– their children and grandchildren. These successive generations exhibit symptoms of trauma even though they haven’t experienced those traumatic events. The effects of trauma are passed down the generations. This phenomenon has only recently started to be understood, with its biological, psychological, social, and cultural implications.
It has been demonstrated through research that trauma can go down to the third generation and further. The researched groups studied to understand this phenomenon include Holocaust survivors, descendants of enslaved individuals, refugees, military personnel and their families, and individuals who endured wartime rape.
It is known widely that the experiences our parents go through shape them, and how they raise and interact with us shapes us and our personality. The unhealthy coping mechanisms or extremely anxious reactions parents might have developed due to their experiences might influence the shaping of their children’s personalities and the development of such responses.
However, research has also demonstrated that trauma responses can be passed down through our genes. Trauma inheritance can be understood through epigenetics. Epigenetics studies the way an individual’s behaviour and environment can influence how their genes work. These are genetic responses rather than changes– that is, an epigenetic change doesn’t transform the structure or the sequence of DNA, but it changes how our body understands and reads a particular DNA sequence. The epigenetic modifications may turn specific genes ‘on’ or ‘off’, which implies that specific genes may not be expressed normally in people with generational trauma, which could play a role in the incidence of mental health illnesses or particular symptoms.
Certain genes are inactive when we are born and might activate based on our external environment, surroundings, and early experiences. This mechanism helps us adapt to our environment, ultimately aiding our survival. When one experiences trauma, their DNA responds to the situation by activating specific genes to aid their sustenance during the traumatic event, and it ensures that they are ready for any future dangerous situations. These are then passed on to our offspring to prepare them for future traumatic events.
One study demonstrated low levels of cortisol in children of mothers who experienced trauma during attacks on the World Trade Centre and had later developed PTSD. These low cortisol levels in children make them susceptible to PTSD. This hormone is crucial in helping us deal with stress, too.
The symptoms and consequences of transgenerational trauma include anxiety disorders, depression, lack of trust, irrational anger, frustration or irritability, dissociation, fear of death, and hypervigilance. The symptoms expressed might be similar to PTSD’s symptoms. Since the individual hasn’t gone through the experience themselves, they do not experience flashbacks or intrusive memories. Still, some individuals have expressed that they have repetitive, distressing dreams set in a period lived by their parents or grandparents. Their trauma responses have been inherited genetically. The symptoms also include guilt, shame, a dark, heavy feeling without any cause, feelings of insecurity, or helplessness. Symptoms may differ based on the type of original trauma or ethnicity.
Transgenerational trauma might occur when the events of trauma are not recognised by society and are linked with guilt and shame, often treated as a taboo. The individual would not reach out for help in such circumstances, and it would prevent the trauma from being processed. Unprocessed trauma that has been suppressed influences an individual’s interactions with their children and the way the individuals who have undergone trauma react to stressors. These patterns would ultimately be passed on to their children in some instances due to complex interactions of certain specific circumstances, which leads to transgenerational trauma.
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References:
Gillespie, C. (2023, August 11). What is generational trauma? Health. https://www.health.com/condition/ptsd/generational-trauma
Kizilhan, J. I., Noll‐Hussong, M., & Wenzel, T. (2021). Transgenerational Transmission of Trauma across Three Generations of Alevi Kurds. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(1), 81. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010081
Transgenerational trauma. (n.d.). Medica Mondiale. https://medicamondiale.org/en/violence-against-women/overcoming-trauma/transgenerational-trauma
What is Transgenerational Trauma, and How Does it Affect Our Families? (n.d.). https://www.betterup.com/blog/transgenerational-trauma
Yehuda, R., & Lehrner, A. (2018). Intergenerational transmission of trauma effects: putative role of epigenetic mechanisms. World Psychiatry, 17(3), 243–257. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20568
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