A personal reflection on historical and intergenerational trauma
Today, I want to share an example of my own experience with historical & intergenerational trauma. I hope that this perspective is helpful to my fellow white-bodied, Ashkenazi Jewish folks and that everyone else reading finds how it can be applicable to your experiences as well.
After a recent event where I spoke about decoupling Judaism from zionism, I found myself having intrusive worry thoughts of being persecuted.
They were very specific and very intense.
To cope, I used grounding techniques, reality testing, connection with loved ones, and other trauma treatment skills to remind my nervous system of my relative safety.
These intrusive thoughts and accompanying body-stress responses are directly linked to holocaust trauma that my ancestors endured. My ancestors actually experienced persecution and adopted protective strategies to stay alive.
These strategies involved vigilance, anticipating what might happen to them, planning, fleeing, and likely fighting in many ways. All under sustained, high levels of stress.
My existence is evidence that those strategies worked. And …
Science now shows us how trauma is passed down from one generation to the next.
So while antisemitism is in fact rising, I personally, currently benefit from relative safety based on my identities.
And it is because of this relative safety that it is imperative that I commit to discerning between real threats and perceived threats that I experience as historical and intergenerational trauma reactions.
This commitment to discernment does 3 critical things:
It grounds me in my empathy for other Jewish folks who are having trauma reactions to the current events.
It prevents me from misperceiving & reacting, and then engaging in rupturing and disconnecting behaviors.
It helps me redirect myself to effective skills to soothe my nervous system, stay engaged in the present moment, and connected to the people around me.
When I react to my perceived threats--those that are not grounded in my current reality--I do things that are not appropriate to my current context and the people involved.
My commitment to a practice of discernment does not render me blind to the realities of current, active, antisemitism.
It helps me better identify and address real threats, appropriately manage the rest, and stay connected in community-- which is how we keep each other safe.
This work is HARD and can be complex. It is intense emotional labor. And the point isn’t to “get it right” all the time. The point is to practice.
How are you tending to your nervous system these days?
If you would like support in your process, I still have a few coaching and therapy spots open.
In solidarity,
Dr. Rebecca Cohen
