GENERATIONAL WOUNDS AND TRAUMA

When you have the flu, you may develop a fever, cough, or a sore throat. When you are sleep-deprived, your eyes feel heavy and you yawn. These are physical signals concerning the outer body, but what about matters of the heart and soul? 

We believe that emotional trauma, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and mental health issues send out signals that are unique to each individual and their personal experiences. Some signals may be displayed in the following ways: reacting to certain trigger words, fearing certain situations, doubting one’s identity in the world.

Just as cultural traditions, physical traits (e.g., eye color, jawline, hair color), certain dispositions (e.g., Kat believes musicality came from her mom) can be passed down through families, we can also inherit trauma and its effects. Hence, why they are called “generational”.

Nedra Glover Tawwab, American mental health therapist, social worker, and writer, describes generational trauma as a dysfunction that happens across age groups. Within the household, we may end up minimizing some of these traumas and wounds because it has become the norm; a regular occurrence. She further states that “[general trauma] is extinguished when we can start to name and deal with what that was that happened to us.”

Unless you take the time to excavate your family history, you may not recognize that you have any generational trauma or wounds. Some of those that were revealed in the film are effects of infidelity, cultural upbringing, unexpected deaths and illnesses in the family. The good news is that these generational patterns can be broken. We encourage you to watch Daughter, and hope you will be moved to take action to break free from the chains of generational wounds and trauma.