Your Genetic Problems That You Can Rightfully Blame On Your Ancestors w/ Mariel Buqué
Feb 24, 2025
auto_awesome
In this conversation with Mariel Buqué, a trauma-informed psychologist and author of "Break the Cycle," explore the profound impacts of intergenerational trauma. Mariel discusses how our ancestors' struggles can shape our experiences today, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging these inherited challenges for healing. The discussion also includes the tension between genetic determinism and personal growth, along with strategies for breaking negative family cycles. Listeners gain insights into establishing healthy boundaries and fostering emotional reconnection within families.
Intergenerational trauma impacts emotional health, as unresolved behaviors from ancestors can manifest in descendants' lives in subtle ways.
The interplay of genetics and environment shapes emotional responses, illustrating that trauma can alter genetic expression across generations.
Healing from trauma involves acknowledging inherited burdens and employing grounding techniques to cultivate resilience and emotional stability.
Deep dives
Understanding Intergenerational Trauma
Intergenerational trauma refers to the psychological impact of trauma experienced by previous generations that can affect the emotional and mental health of descendants. The podcast emphasizes that these issues can manifest in ways not easily recognizable, as they are often deeply embedded in family dynamics. The notion that our ancestors' experiences with trauma—such as violence, discrimination, or neglect—can shape our own behaviors and emotional responses highlights the complexity of healing. Recognizing this connection empowers individuals to explore their feelings of anxiety, depression, and conflict aversion, encouraging a deeper understanding of their emotional landscape.
The Role of Genetic and Environmental Factors
The discussion points to the interplay between genetics and environment in shaping our emotional responses and behaviors. The concept that genetics can predispose individuals to certain psychological traits is outlined, with the analogy of mice exhibiting fear from a traumatic experience triggered by a specific scent, showing how trauma can literally alter genetic expression across generations. This idea is paralleled in human experiences, where emotional patterns, such as conflict avoidance or fear of intimacy, stem from ancestral trauma. The dialogue underscores the potential for individuals to reinterpret these inherited patterns and make conscious decisions to heal and transform their responses.
Breaking Cycles of Trauma
To break cycles of trauma, individuals must first acknowledge and understand their inherited emotional burdens. The podcast discusses the importance of confronting not only personal pain but also the collective trauma experienced by ancestors. Emotions like guilt and shame often surface as barriers to this process, but recognizing them allows for self-compassion and forgiveness. The conversation stresses that breaking these cycles requires effort and involves deep emotional work, yet it can lead to healthier relationships and better overall mental health, making healing an achievable goal.
The Importance of Grounding Techniques
An essential aspect of trauma healing highlighted in the podcast is the use of grounding techniques to help manage emotional responses. By learning how to ground oneself, individuals can cultivate a sense of safety and stability, which is crucial in trauma work. The conversation illustrates that when faced with triggering situations, having tools to regain emotional control is paramount to navigating trauma effectively. This process not only equips one to deal with past traumas but also aids in building resilience against future challenges.
The Power of Lifelong Healing
The podcast emphasizes that healing from intergenerational trauma is a lifelong journey and not limited to early life experiences. There are opportunities for growth and reconciliation at any age, demonstrating that emotional healing can occur even later in life when individuals are open to it. Personal stories shared illustrate that confronting the past can lead to profound shifts in family relationships, bringing about newfound understanding and connection. This ongoing process empowers individuals to redefine their narratives, cultivating compassion for themselves and their ancestors while actively working to break damaging cycles.
That statement I would have not uttered in my past. I don’t align with blaming, accusing, making excuses, and giving any power to anyone but myself. But, I’m changing my tune, thanks to my guest today. If someone runs a red light and smashes into my car, breaking my leg, I am ok to blame them for my broken leg. And admitting I now have a broken leg and can’t go run the next day. It would be dumb to blame myself or to deny the car wreck and sit around perplexed as to why my leg is broken, or blame myself for what…driving through a green light? Recognizing what happened helps me keep myself sane. Then of course, the event is over. I have a broken leg. I was in a car crash. It’s solely up to me to deal with it. To try and heal the leg. To work through the wreck so I don’t have PTSD with driving. My expert guest on this issue is Mariel Buqué. Mariel is a PhD and a Columbia University–trained trauma-informed psychologist, and professor. She has appeared as an expert on Good Morning America and Today and many other outlets, and has offered wellness talks to corporations such as Google, Capital One, and Meta. She is originally from the Dominican Republic and currently lives in New Jersey. I caught up with her recently while she was in Trinidad, to talk about the message in her new book, Break the Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma. I feel this message is important and very useful for us all, because we all have things that happened to our ancestors that affect us.