Judith Joseph

“Research has shown that historical traumas rooted in racial discrimination and the aftermath of war (like the Holocaust, the Civil War, slavery, the forced relocation of Native Americans, Jim Crow, and the financial impact of World War II on the United Kingdom) can have silent, negative health impacts on the descendants of those who experienced them.5 In short, our ancestors pass along trauma because trauma impacts our DNA; this is called intergenerational trauma. Passed-down trauma can have an impact not just in the next generation but also in later generations. Intergenerational trauma can impact you if your parents or grandparents were the survivors of genocide or were refugees.”
― Judith Joseph, High Functioning: Overcome Your Hidden Depression and Reclaim Your Joy