Generational Trauma

I believe I am the architect of my life. That said, when I analyze some of the traits I share with my sister and my children, I think there's truth to the idea of generational trauma. This article does a good job of describing a complex subject.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/well...bc0f6d71c68fbf/29/72/64874bb0b4fbc473d64911fd

 

My father never said much about his childhood, and even less about his father who died before I was born, but I got a clue when a cousin, much older than me, told me about her experience as a child at the hands of our grandfather. I've no doubt that he affected my life quite profoundly as well, albeit in a very much less direct way. The sins of the fathers...

 

This is very prevalent in my family and life as well! And I believe it is what led to diagnoses of depression, anxiety, and OCD by my pediatrician when I was a child - all of which were swept under the rug because it was easier for my parents to believe that it was just me being hormonal and not at all related to other things that required change and acknowledgement. I was never told about those diagnoses until I was rediagnosed at Mayo Clinic in my late 20s and my mom said, "We already knew all that." You did?!

I'm grateful to be an adult and in a position where I understand this today and can work on it. Generational trauma is no joke, but we can work on new, meaningful paths for ourselves.

 

Here is a gifted link that should work for all: https://wapo.st/45WQxQp

 

And here is the story of Dutch Hunger Winter:

https://www.npr.org/transcripts/947232031