“Marinated in trauma” – generational transmission of trauma. Diane Langberg & Phil Monroe
When a person’s life is marinated in trauma, that has profound effects on the individual. When a connected group of people is systemically traumatized (such as the Jews in the holocaust) studies show this has negative effects down several generations. And what if a whole society is systemically traumatizing some of its members?
The three links I’m about to give you are all from the same YouTube video.
Introduction to Trauma Healing— a TV series made for Iranians in which actors depict various Bible stories that relate to trauma. Pretty short; very moving.
Dr Diane Langberg describes what it is like to be ‘marinated in trauma‘ by recounting examples from real people’s lives. She explores the impact of complex trauma on stages of individual and social identity development and how this has an impact on trauma being passed on to the next generation.
Dr Phil Monroe discusses the transmission of trauma across generations using examples of direct and indirect intergenerational transmission of trauma, and the systems that maintain trauma transmission. He explored these questions:
- What are the social conditions and structures that maintain systems that transmit trauma to the next generation? In other words, what are the factors outside of individual behavior (e.g., one traumatized person’s behavior towards another) that maintain conditions encouraging generational trauma?
- For those of the higher caste in a society – the people with greater privilege and more social power – what are the mechanisms that enable them to
- avoid many generational traumas
- remain blind to the structures and systems at work.
A society can transmit trauma systematically & trans-generationally. The “lower caste” are more vulnerable than the “higher caste” in a given society.
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Other items about Langberg and Monroe
Living with Trauma Memories — video presentation by Diane Langberg
Diane Langberg interviewed about domestic and sexual abuse, by The Mortification of Spin
Counseling Victims of Domestic Abuse — by Diane Langberg, PhD
Dr Phil Monroe: 1 Corinthians 7 – Whose Body Is Trump?
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- Posted in: Victims
- Tagged: Diane Langberg, Phil Monroe
A Cry For Justice 
Thank you for compiling these different resources as one topic. I am slowly working through them. My children were late elementary age when memories of my childhood abuse began flooding back. Now, my [child] is nearly [fourth decade]. [My child] has worked hard on [my child’s] own to heal from growing up in a home with my background.
Also, it is not surprising that I married an abusive man who kept narcissistic chaos and confusion and many forms of abuse in the forefront of their childhoods. While I made it a priority, intuitively, to provide security in their daily lives, my now-ex worked hard to erode it.
I opened the door very intentionally, recently, telling my [child] that I am back in therapy and affirm that [my child’s] childhood was one of trauma that I am very sorry about. We are discussing [my child’s] questions and memories now.
A few months ago, I purchased the manual published by G.R.A.C.E, “The Child Safeguarding Policy Guide” for churches and ministry. Included was a booklet written by Diane Langberg that pertains to the long term spiritual impact of abuse on a child. I can identify with her words. It is truth and it is devastating truth, so difficult to reckon with and to accept. However, it does help me to understand why daily life has always been so difficult. Also why it has been such a struggle to trust God and to sense a connectedness to God.
I cannot thank you enough for these emails!!! I have lived in relentless abuse for over a decade and trying to rear my children… As a Christian I was told many things to keep my marriage together, but God finally took over when I was out of options, and resources. In the court system I was re-traumatized, and now being free of that for 2 years God’s Healing and Love is being poured over my children and I… I am learning so much from your emails. Thank you!
Healing&Loved,
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