At Avalon Malibu, we understand that life can be unpredictable. This can lead anyone to face challenges throughout their lifetime. We know it can be crucial to your well-being to seek support when life challenges affect your mental or physical health. We understand, however, that not everyone seeks treatment. When this occurs, trauma can sometimes be passed down within a family. This is called generational trauma. Recognizing the patterns of trauma being passed down is crucial as it can be overlooked for many reasons. If your family has experienced trauma that has been passed onto you, this may mean you are experiencing generational trauma.
What Is Generational Trauma?
Generational trauma, also known as intergenerational trauma, according to a journal article titled “Hidden Burdens: a Review of Intergenerational, Historical, and Complex Trauma, Implications for Indigenous Families,” published by the Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma, discusses generational trauma. This journal article says the following:
The assumption that parents transmit unresolved tension and feelings to their children, generated from their own families of origin, has been the basic construct underlying many theories of intergenerational trauma (Stern 1995). Intergenerational trauma may take the form of reconfigurations of trauma inflicted by a person on another when personal trauma is unacknowledged or dissociated, resulting in a “chain of pain” (Byers and Gere 2007, p. 388).
From this, we understand untreated trauma from parents can unintentionally pass down trauma to their children. It may be important to note that not all individuals who have experienced trauma will create a generational trauma cycle. Seeking trauma treatment is typically the best course of action to ensure the cycle does not continue. When trauma goes untreated, though, it increases the chances of generational trauma becoming an issue within a family.
We understand that for many people, generational trauma continues because the cycle can be challenging to acknowledge. This can be true because trauma can have effects on your mental health, too. This can make it difficult to know how to find help. If any of this information resonates with you, mental health treatment with Avalon Malibu may be a good fit for you.
Trauma and Mental Health Challenges
The World Journal of Psychiatry published an article titled “Psychological trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder, and trauma-related depression: A mini-review,” published on June 19, 2023, that discussed trauma and mental health. This article states the following:
There are various types of traumatic stimuli, such as catastrophic events like wars, natural calamities like earthquakes, and personal trauma from physical and psychological neglect or abuse and sexual abuse. Traumatic events can be divided into type I and type II trauma, and their impacts on individuals depend not only on the severity and duration of the traumas but also on individuals’ self-evaluation of the traumatic events.
The above quote concludes that the connection between trauma and mental health challenges can vary from person to person. This could help validate that the impact your trauma has had on you is valid.
Some mental health challenges you may face as a result of trauma can include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Sleep disturbances
- Dissociation
- Adjustment disorders
- Intrusive thoughts
It could be easy to feel isolated or alone when you are dealing with trauma of any kind. In the case of generational trauma, you may be dealing with situations that feel unfair as they have been passed down to you. It may feel frustrating that you are the one who has noticed the patterns of the trauma. This is not abnormal; you are not alone in feeling this way. Seeking treatment may be a great option for you.
Seeking Treatment for Generational Trauma
Trauma treatment can involve a variety of methods depending on your specific needs. Some examples of treatments for trauma include eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), holistic approaches such as mindfulness, and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Therapy for generational trauma is a safe space where you can explore where your trauma began. You can then begin your healing journey by working with your therapist to create a healthy life for yourself, free of the trauma that has held you back from enjoying a healthy life.
At Avalon Malibu, we understand how brave it is to come forward when you need help with your mental health, and we can assure you we are equipped to help. We offer luxury mental health treatment where we can help empower you to break the cycles of generational trauma. This is where you can create real changes to better yourself and create a happy and healthy life. Breaking generational trauma cycles can take time. We can help you nurture your mental health and build your confidence in the comfort of our treatment facility. It is never too late to seek help and begin healing.
Generational trauma occurs when trauma is passed down to you. When trauma is passed down to you, it can leave you to face a variety of mental health challenges. We understand that this can leave you feeling frustrated and isolated, but it is crucial that you know you are not alone. Breaking the cycles of generational trauma takes courage. You are brave for recognizing the patterns and coming forward. Generational trauma can be treated with the help of our team at Avalon Malibu at our mental health treatment facility. Please call (844) 857-5992 for more information on how generational trauma can affect your mental health and how we can help assist you today.
