Understanding Trauma and Intergenerational Trauma
– Elsa Cherrier
Much of The Dandelion Philosophy’s work is intended to treat both the symptoms and the causes of the deep trauma as part and parcel of all the work we do.
The impacts of racism, segregation, disenfranchisement, and specifically in South Africa, the system of Apartheid, continue to impede the advancement of people of colour, despite South African Independence in the 90s.
Defining trauma in a way that is accessible and relatable to all, including the communities affected, is a particularly challenging task. Too often we hear opinions such as, “we have learned to just get over it”, or the view that being affected by traumatic events is seen as a sign of weakness. This position is more prevalent among males than females.
At The Dandelion Philosophy, we define trauma as the response to exposure to stress and psychological, physical, or emotional events affecting either an individual or a group of people.
The initial impacts of trauma are discontinuity and deregulation between the body and mind; this may be temporary, or it may be longer-lasting with more severe impacts.
Untreated, trauma may manifest in a multitude of ways, including physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social distress.
The deregulation trauma causes often has connected effects, which on the surface may seem unrelated.
These include low self-esteem, anxiety, depression (that may result in self-harm), intolerance towards others, hyper-vigilance, dissociation, addiction, shame and worthlessness, as well as feelings of detachment.
Recent studies show that trauma, and its associated responses, can be transmitted genetically through generations. Trauma transmission is more commonly known as “intergenerational trauma”.
Intergenerational trauma can result in patterns of emotional detachment, or states of numbness, emotional overprotectiveness, intolerance of perceived “weakness” in others, and maintaining a “conspiracy of silence”, where unspoken consensus results in the non-confrontation of the source of the trauma or its impacts.
Research into intergenerational trauma in family members of survivors and victims of the Holocaust found anxiety, PTSD, and depression symptoms in the next generations of these families. Identical patterns can be observed in Palestinian victims and occupation survivors, as well as victims of Apartheid in South Africa.
Too often, younger generations display symptoms of intergenerational trauma that stem from learned behaviours, distorted values, and the maladaptive belief patterns of parents, grandparents, and other family members who are either the source of the trauma, or have inherited the trauma from the preceding generation.
Continued exposure to trauma, especially in environments that sustain or even cultivate these maladaptive behaviours, directly contributes to increased levels of addiction, violence, crime, and poverty.
In South Africa, the combination of Apartheid, slavery, and the mass oppression of black and brown communities constitute repeated long-term trauma and intergenerational trauma exposure.
This manifests in a number of destructive ways, including a lack of identity or belonging, tradition and cultural shame, deep-rooted fear, and the phenomenon known as “Apartheid paralysis”—an unexplainable immobilisation and inability to create change.
The Dandelion Philosophy’s work with the community of Cambridge Village in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, is largely driven by the fact that these serious symptoms unfortunately only represent a fraction of the challenges residents here face daily. The lack of basic access to food, water, sanitation, and education only further increases the prevailing sense of hopelessness.
Our psychosocial interventions are intended to contribute to creating awareness to both identify and understand the symptoms of trauma. We believe that it is imperative to recalibrate and reset some of the behaviours that impede long-term advances and healing.
We view trauma and intergenerational trauma as the root cause of many of the maladaptive actions and behaviours we see, specifically in black and brown communities in South Africa and around the world.
To address the underlying trauma itself and create sustainable changes towards mental well-being, The Dandelion Philosophy’s Psychosocial Support Program (“Circles”) aspires to:
Cultivate and enhance the connection to a sense of cultural identity and traditional pride
Use Afro-centric approaches to solution-oriented healing support
Promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with Intention (DEI+)
Create and implement spaces of peace as outlets for community members— including children and the elderly
Nurture collective and reciprocal healing and growth
Over the coming weeks, The Dandelion Philosophy will share some very exciting plans for Cambridge Village in 2023.
This includes the development of intentional healing spaces that will also provide skills development through horticultural therapy, dedicated learning and community centres, and safe spaces to begin the process of trauma healing and mental health awareness.
