It Didn't Start with You

02Trauma can pass down through generations, not just affect the one who experienced it

Imagine this: the emotional and physical scars of a traumatic event don't just affect the person who lived through it. They can also impact their children, and even their grandchildren. This is the idea of intergenerational trauma, a concept that suggests the effects of trauma can be passed down through generations. Let's take a look at some real-life research to better understand this. Rachel Yehuda, a professor who studies the brain and how it's affected by stress, has spent years researching Holocaust survivors and their children. She found something startling: if a parent has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), their child is three times more likely to show signs of PTSD too. This could show up as feelings of depression or anxiety, even though the child didn't personally experience the traumatic event that caused their parent's PTSD. So, it seems like the emotional and physical effects of trauma can be passed down, just like physical traits or genetic conditions. This means that the children or grandchildren of people who've survived trauma might find themselves dealing with the fallout of events they didn't personally experience. But how does this happen? How can trauma be 'passed down'? This is where the research of cell biologist Bruce Lipton comes in. He found that a mother's emotions can actually change the way her baby's genes work. When a mother is pregnant, her blood carries all sorts of signals that are influenced by her emotional state. These signals can turn on certain proteins in the baby's cells, leading to changes in their body and behavior. For instance, if a mother feels fear or anger during her pregnancy, these emotions can send chemical signals that change the development of her unborn baby. This could potentially make the child more likely to develop certain emotional or physical conditions later in life. In short, the trauma experienced by one person doesn't end with them. It can spread out, affecting their children, and even their grandchildren. To truly understand and address patterns of trauma and suffering, we need to look beyond the individual. We need to examine at least three generations of family history. This can help us find the root causes of inherited trauma and provide a way to heal and break the cycle.

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