By Sandra Holmes
Abuse is learned behavior. Intergenerational abuse is patterns of behavior. passed on from parents to children.
Patterns of behavior can be so ingrained in the family or culture that it is almost impossible to break the cycle.
We live in an era of enlightenment and education. We have the opportunity to learn and change.
Many articles about intergenerational abuse and trauma can be found on the internet. Self-help books such as “It didn’t Start With You: Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End The Cycle” by Mark Wolynn, or “Adult Children of Alcoholics” give factual information about how trauma in previous generations affects a family.
Biographies written as novels, such as “The Glass Castle” by Jeanette Walls or “North of Normal: A Memoir of My Wilderness Childhood” by Cea Sunrise Person are vehicles to share uncommon life experiences.
Richard Wagamese wrote compelling books retelling stories of difficult life experiences so others may have an understanding of some aspects of his life and culture.
Personal life changes begin with curiosity about a pattern of behavior in a family or culture. Writing personal journals about feelings may be the key that unlocks understanding about a troubling situation you are experiencing.
If you are a person who has a desire to write for what-ever reason and needs motivation to begin, Wells Gray Country Seniors Society’s Writers’ Circle meets at 2 p.m. the first and third Thursday of the month at Clearwater Public Library.
Writing has the ability to change the conversation from, “I just don’t understand why I always feel such anxiety when I visit my old mother,” to, “My mom experienced serious food shortages at one time in her life. No wonder she is always hording and stocking up and sharp with me if she thinks I am being wasteful.”
– With the aid of a New Horizons for Seniors’ grant, Wells Gray Country Seniors Society brings awareness to seniors issues with a series of articles supporting WGCSS program called Seniors Taking Charge: Elder Abuse Prevention.