Reenactment & Generational Trauma
Have you ever wondered why you go back to the things that make you feel the worst about yourself?
It is true there is “comfort” in familiarity, even when what is familiar has brought you shame or harm in the past and is sure to do so again. Talk about false comfort!
But often it goes deeper than that.
Generational Trauma
Exodus 20:5 talks about the sins of the father being visited upon the third and fourth generation. Passages like this have been backed up by research that shows the many effects of generational trauma - including actual changes in a person’s DNA - due to traumas like domestic violence, substance addiction, or child abuse & neglect.
This is simply what happens without intervention. Generational trauma does not sentence us to carry our trauma forever & pass it on to the next generation!
Ezekiel 18:20 states that the son will not bear the iniquity of the father.
2 Corinthians 5:10 and Romans 14:12 both make clear that we will give account for ourselves to God.
This is a zoomed-in version of a bigger picture.
In Adam we all have sinned- it is literally a part of the nature we are born with.
But we cannot blame Adam when we stand before God. We answer for ourselves.
However, if we acknowledge that Adam’s discontentment & disobedience was sin, we have the chance to learn from that & cast ourselves on God for forgiveness & strength to abide in Him!
Similarly, we cannot blame our parents for our anger issues, our substance abuse, or anything else, when we stand before God to give an account.
Understanding what they passed down to us is a gift of wisdom from God, Who can also give us the strength to face painful truths.
If we don’t acknowledge our parents’ or ancestors’ harmful actions or examples as sin, we are more likely to repeat what we learned from their example as children.
But, if we can acknowledge & grieve their failures and the harm they caused- safe within the healing arms of Christ- we can stop generational sins!
Accepting our need for God’s comfort & healing is key to protecting future generations from the effects of our untended wounds.
As priests & intercessors with Christ, we can help bring this healing to others!
We are called to break the bonds of those trapped in generational sin or any destructive pattern of reenactment. By allowing God to bring healing into our own lives & families, we are preparing to come alongside others who want freedom but need our prayers & help to walk in it!
If you’re interested in understanding more about the concept of reenactment, keep reading!
Why does so much trauma repeat itself?
Why would a woman who was abused by her father as a child seek out partners as an adult who also abuse her?
Why would a man who was sexually abused & terrorized as a child go on to sexually abuse & terrorize children as an adult?
These are well-known examples of maladaptive reenactment.
Maladaptive Reenactment
The definition of maladaptive is: not providing adequate or appropriate adjustment to the environment or situation.
Many people respond to childhood trauma through unknowingly reenacting that trauma in some way, possibly wanting -subconsciously- to fix or gain control over what happened to them. Maladaptive reenactment leads to re-traumatization or re-victimization, not just to oneself, but to the next generation.
Because childhood trauma adversely affects the person’s brain, view of self, and their ability to trust God or others, people with a high ACE (Adverse Childhood Experience) score often do not have the tools -or even relationships with people who have the tools!- to help them deal with their trauma in a healthy way.
In fact, the tools they do have are often dissociative defenses- meaning they grew accustomed to enduring traumatic experiences by minimizing, blocking out, or tolerating the trauma. These defensive tools usually lead to more trauma because the victim avoids appropriate reaction in favor of survival.
Adaptive Reenactment
Adaptive reenactment is possible, but usually requires the outside help & guidance of a therapist, counselor or support group - perhaps even a friend who has gone down the same road before!
An example of adaptive reenactment would be someone attending a grief group or other support group to talk through & learn how to integrate a traumatic event into their life rather than suppressing or denying its pain. Another example would be a former foster youth learning their own worth & value and committing to pass that on by becoming a foster parent!
A prayer acknowledging our own sins and the sins of our ancestors:
“We acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord, and the iniquity of our fathers, for we have sinned against you. Do not spurn us, for Your name’s sake.” Jeremiah 14:20
A verse reminding us where our healing, comfort & strength comes from!
“Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight & the sin that so easily entangles us, looking unto Jesus the author & finisher of our faith, Who for the joy before Him endured the cross, despising the shame & is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1
Thank God that through Christ-
we can pass down healing instead of trauma,
fruitful living instead of empty coping,
and redemption rather than reenactment!