What is Intergenerational Trauma?

Trauma can linger for years. Various forms of trauma can negatively impact your health and quality of life.

In this article, we will explore what intergenerational trauma is, how it is passed down, and what can be done to break the cycle.

Multi Concept Recovery offers top-rated rehab centers to help support your unique recovery needs. Contact us today to learn more!

What is Intergenerational Trauma?

Intergenerational trauma is a type of trauma that can be passed from one generation to the next. This can occur within families, communities, or even entire cultural groups.

There are a range of examples of intergenerational trauma, whether a family or community experienced famine, abuse, and other large-scale or personal traumas.

Intergenerational trauma is not about weakness; however, it is critical to understand that intergenerational trauma exists and can impact your life depending on your history, your family, and where you live.

2 Ways Intergenerational Trauma Can Be Passed Down

Understanding how intergenerational trauma is passed from generation to generation is important. Here are three key ways intergenerational trauma is passed down:

Through Learned Behaviors and Parenting Patterns

One of the most direct ways intergenerational trauma can be passed down from generation to generation is through the behaviors and parenting patterns of traumatized individuals. A parent who experienced childhood abuse, neglect, or abandonment may struggle and thus struggle to provide the consistent emotional safety and security their child needs.

It is important to understand that this does not mean that traumatized parents do not love their children. But unresolved trauma can interfere with the ability to parent in ways that feel safe and connected, and children absorb these patterns and thus keep passing down the cyclical nature of intergenerational trauma.

Through Emotional Silence and Avoidance

In many families that have experienced significant trauma, oftentimes the trauma is not spoken about or is avoided. This avoidance and emotional silence can linger and cause trauma to be passed down.

Children and grandchildren of traumatized individuals may grow up sensing that something painful exists in their family’s history without ever being told what it is. Yet, they still may feel a sense of shame, fear, or sadness, which can ultimately impact their mental health and well-being.

Signs You May Be Experiencing Intergenerational Trauma

Intergenerational trauma can be difficult to spot at times. Some signs that intergenerational trauma to look out for include:

Persistent anxiety, depression, or emotional numbness
Patterns of unhealthy relationships
Difficulty trusting others
Fear of abandonment
A family history of addiction, mental illness, or abuse
Feeling a deep sense of shame or unworthiness
Turning to drugs or alcohol to cope
And more

If you suspect you may be struggling with unresolved trauma, it is critical to seek professional support so you can heal and break the cycle of trauma.

Help Is Available

Intergenerational trauma can feel like a cycle that is impossible to break. Fortunately, you don’t have to face your trauma all on your own.

Multi Concept Recovery offers top-rated rehab centers to help support your unique recovery journey every step of the way From comprehensive addiction treatment programs to mental health care, we are here to help you regain control over your life.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are common signs and symptoms of trauma?

Left untreated, trauma symptoms can linger and impact your life for years. Common signs that you or someone you know may be struggling with trauma include persistent feelings of anxiety or fear, emotional numbness or detachment, mood swings, difficulty trusting others, avoiding certain people, places, or situations, and more. Many individuals struggling with trauma also turn to drugs or alcohol as a way to cope, which can quickly lead to developing a drug dependency and addiction.

Can intergenerational trauma contribute to addiction?

Yes, intergenerational trauma can contribute to addiction; however, it is important to understand they are two distinct conditions. Individuals who have inherited the emotional and psychological effects of a previous generation’s trauma may be at higher risk of turning to drugs or alcohol as a way to manage feelings of anxiety, depression, shame, or emotional dysregulation that stem from that inherited trauma. This is why it is critical if you suspect you may be struggling with unresolved trauma to seek professional support so that you can heal and reduce your risk of turning to unhealthy coping strategies like abusing drugs and alcohol.

What is the best treatment for intergenerational trauma?

While there is no one “best” treatment for intergenerational trauma, there are several highly effective treatment options. Treatment for intergenerational trauma typically involves a combination of approaches tailored to the individual.
Evidence-based therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) are particularly effective for processing trauma and reshaping the thought and behavioral patterns it creates. Group therapy can also be effective. At Multi Concept Recovery, we offer a wide range of treatment options to ensure every patient receives the personalized care to best meet their unique recovery needs.

How intergenerational trauma is passed down

A generation-by-generation timeline showing how unresolved trauma transfers through families — and what the impact looks like at each stage.

Generation	How trauma is carried & transmitted	What it can look like
Generation 1 The original trauma	A person experiences a significant trauma — abuse, neglect, famine, violence, or other overwhelming events. If the trauma goes unresolved, it shapes how they regulate emotions, relate to others, and parent their children.	Unresolved trauma Emotional dysregulation, difficulty with trust, and struggles to provide consistent safety and connection to their children.
Generation 2 Absorbed patterns	Children grow up inside the behavioral and emotional patterns created by their parent’s unresolved trauma. They may never be told what happened, but they absorb it through parenting style, emotional unavailability, or family silence — and can unknowingly carry it forward.	Learned behaviors Anxiety, fear of abandonment, and difficulty forming secure attachments — often without understanding why.
Generation 3 The silence effect	Grandchildren may grow up sensing that something painful exists in the family’s history without ever being told what it is. The unspoken nature of the trauma creates feelings of shame, confusion, or sadness that have no clear personal origin.	Unexplained impact Persistent low self-worth, emotional numbness, or relationship difficulties with no obvious personal trauma history.
Breaking the cycle With professional support	Healing can begin at any generation. When a person recognizes the patterns, seeks trauma-informed care, and works to process inherited pain, they can stop passing it forward — and begin building a new, healthier family legacy.	Recovery is possible Therapy, group work, CBT, EMDR, and integrated treatment programs help individuals heal and interrupt the generational cycle.

Source: Multi Concept Recovery — What is Intergenerational Trauma?