Inherited Trauma

The word "inheritance" is almost always associated with money or other tangible items. We never apply it to trauma that is passed down from generation to generation. According to research, trauma can be transmitted from parents to children.

We keep these emotional scars with us until they become a part of who we are because the experiences we have, whether good or negative, leave permanent markings on our minds. Because of this, many of us who were raised by violent parents frequently develop violent traits as adults or "gravitate" toward violent partners. 

Everyone, in my experience, has some sort of trauma that is "hidden" from the public but manifests itself in our behavior. Humans provide examples of behavior for others to follow.

This is not meant to imply that everyone who encounters a trauma will pass that pain on to the following generation. In this article, the term "trauma" refers to how our experiences, whether good or bad, affect us. In order to prove my thesis, I'll use the example of a child who was raised in a poor home against one who was raised in a wealthy one, we would generally assume that the one raised in a poor family is more traumatized. However this is NOT THE IDEA I AM WRITING ABOUT. 

Trauma is (may be) personal, meaning that while we may have the same experience, it may not have the same impact on us.For instance, even if we are in a car accident, we might not feel the same amount of distress.

Below is a post from Pyschcentral, to help build my case. 

[https://psychcentral.com/health/genetic-trauma#how-can-trauma-be-passed-down

 Genetic trauma refers to the effects of trauma that some say we inherit from previous generations.

While “genetic trauma” is a term people search for online and use in everyday conversation, many experts avoid the term.

Tracy L. Bale, PhD, a neuroscientist at the University of Maryland, says, “We don’t have much evidence that trauma is genetically — or epigenetically, more precisely — inherited.”

Epigenetics is the study of how the events that happen to you and your behaviors — such as traumatic events and trauma responses — can change the way your genes work. These changes don’t affect your DNA sequence, but they can affect how your body reads that DNA.

But even if there isn’t direct genetic evidence, Bale notes that the “effects [of trauma] on the next generation can be important without being inherited.”

It’s no secret that trauma can change us. What’s less understood or talked about is how it impacts the next generation.

Although post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is usually linked with personally experiencing trauma, some twin studies have estimated that the heritability of PTSD is between 30% and 70%Trusted Source. This suggests that some aspects of trauma may be inherited.

A study from 2018Trusted Source explored the notion that trauma may be passed down through epigeneticTrusted Source mechanisms, possibly impacting DNA and gene function, but it concluded that more research is needed.

While experts are still researching the biological factors of inherited trauma, research does offer us a view into how trauma from generations past can impact future generations.]

Below is an example of trauma that may be hereditary 

Racial Trauma - Racial trauma refers to the mental and emotional damage caused by encountering racial prejudice and discrimination. These traumatic experiences not only leave scars on individuals, but also affect families and communities. These signs directly or indirectly harm the psyche of the people involved. Research shows that over time these effects tend to resemble anger and self-loathing. 

 Racial trauma can come directly from other people or it can be experienced within a larger system. This can be through direct experience of racism being instilled in you by proxy, such as when you watch videos of other people being racist, and/or across generations.