![]() ![]() Your children can also remind you of trauma that you experienced when you were a similar age, acting as a psychological “trigger”, in which people often react by becoming angry or extremely irritated. They often imitate the behavior of their parents when they have children as well. That’s why people with abusive parents often end up with abusive spouses. ![]() Many people reenact their past trauma unconsciously because it’s familiar. You should also be aware of common behaviors after trauma so that you can avoid them. Getting professional help for yourself and your children is important to break the cycle and keep trauma from becoming a generational problem. Common ACEs include poverty, emotional abuse, and even having parents who divorced during childhood. About 61% of adults suffered at least one ACE as children, so it’s likely that you experienced a traumatic event that could impact the way you raise your children. To prevent generational trauma, people who suffer from ACEs should seek counseling for trauma and abuse. Generational trauma from ACEs cost people in the United States hundreds of billions of dollars per year in lost income, increased medical expenses, and higher needs for social services. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that preventing ACEs could reduce heart disease cases by 1.9 million, instances of obesity by 2.5 million, and cases of depression by 21 million. ![]() ![]() People with ACEs also have lower earnings and education levels as adults. Attendance problems are also five times more likely. Kids with more than three ACEs are three times more likely to fail classes and six times more likely to have behavioral problems. They’re also likely to have parents who also suffered from ACEs when they were younger. According to Indiana University, children who had ACEs are more likely to suffer from obesity, suicide, depression, heart disease, cancer, stroke, and drug or alcohol abuse. They eventually cope with their negative feelings by participating in risky behaviors like drug use and overeating. Because of the PTSD, they perceive the world as dangerous, and they don’t trust teachers or their peers. They live much of their lives in fight, flight, or freeze/fright mode. Then, these changes impact the brains of their children, as well.Ĭhildren who have ACEs often have PTSD. The stress from ACEs can change your attention span, decision-making abilities, learning, ability to form healthy relationships, and response to stress. Children born to parents who experienced trauma could have higher risks of chronic disease and behavioral disorders, even if they didn’t experience negative events themselves. While trauma can’t change genetics, it alters how your cells follow those instructions. The emerging field of epigenetics studies how peoples’ experiences change the way they express their genes. People sometimes call this intergenerational trauma rather than generational trauma. Even the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of people who fought in wars may not trust individuals from the country on the other side of the conflict. For example, many people who lived through the Great Depression in the United States taught their children to stockpile food and other resources, recycle, and prepare for crises. Some events can impact entire societies instead of just one family. When they have a child, he or she could be traumatized by observing spousal abuse and enduring abuse themselves. For them, being hit by loved ones is normal. For example, people whose parents regularly used corporal punishment are more likely to grow up and start a relationship with an abusive spouse. Then, the person’s experiences as a child impact their decisions as an adult. Generational trauma starts with an adverse childhood experience (ACE). Here’s some more information about generational trauma, its potential effects, and how to prevent it. Negative experiences as a child can even become generational trauma when that child grows up and raises their own family. Since the brains of young children exhibit especially high plasticity, what they experience can impact them for the rest of their lives. What people experience actually changes the structures of their brains. The environment where your child grows up is as important as genetics for determining their future health and level of success in life. ![]()
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