In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, Akua Mind and Body is taking this opportunity to share the impact of Intergenerational trauma on people
NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, November 5, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, Akua Mind and Body is taking this opportunity to share the impact that Intergenerational trauma can have on people, especially individuals from indigenous populations that have experienced collective and historical trauma.Intergenerational trauma can be defined as “The intergenerational and unconscious grief from the historical trauma experienced by Indigenous peoples that are passed from generation to generation due to forced relocation, land dispossession, and loss of spiritual practices, language, and culture”.
For the Indigenous peoples, intergenerational trauma dates back to hundreds and hundreds of years ago when the Europeans settled into what is now known as the United States. The Indigenous people were driven from their lands, forbidden to speak their native languages or express their cultures. Infectious diseases like smallpox and tuberculosis were introduced, killing many Native Americans. Individual tribes were intentionally pitted against each other to create enemies, creating a rift in the Native nations, making it easier for settlers to take the lands.
Land dispossession, also known as stolen land, forced relocation, specifically into boarding schools, widespread disease, and forced sterilization and assimilation, are just some examples of the collective losses that the indigenous tribes have experienced over time. When these traumas are not identified and addressed, the indigenous population becomes at risk of developing depression, PTSD, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicidal tendencies, all outward manifestations of the intergenerational trauma and unresolved historical grief.
For more than one hundred years, thousands of Native American children were taken from their homes and sent to residential Indian schools in the United States and Canada to forcibly assimilate them into white culture.
Many indigenous children have experienced psychological, spiritual, physical, and sexual abuse at the hands of their so-called caregivers in the residential or boarding school system. On an individual level, the long-term impacts of residential schools have left many students facing significant mental health challenges. These range from heightened feelings of anger, anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression to post-traumatic stress disorder and high rates of suicide, among other things. Substance abuse is extremely prevalent in the Native American population as these individuals turn to alcohol and drugs to cope with the harmful impacts of residential schools.
Racism is a complex and damaging system with interpersonal and internalized factors that are used to gain control, maintain inequality, oppress and discriminate against a particular ethnic or racial group.
Intergenerational trauma among indigenous people goes hand in hand with racism as racism causes trauma and is therefore deemed a mental health issue. Intergenerational trauma among the indigenous people occurs because of the color of their skin, their language, and their cultures. The indigenous people are a minority group that has been controlled and ostracized for many past generations. The trauma associated with this racism has been passed down to future generations. The effects of racism and intergenerational trauma are often overlooked and are not immediately acknowledged as results of chronic exposure and re-traumatization.
Akua Mind and Body is more than just a treatment center or residential facility; it’s a revitalizing retreat that provides holistic therapy programs for those who are in need of mental health treatment and substance use addiction. Akua’s integrative approach combines Eastern traditions with Western science to provide the highest quality of care combining physical, psychological, spiritual, and science-based approaches in detoxification, outpatient, and residential treatment. With facilities throughout the Sacramento Region, Los Angeles & Orange County Region, and San Diego Region, Akua aims to provide its clients with the best mental health and addiction treatment possible. Akua’s goal is to help patients build a solid foundation for healing so they can live happy and healthy lives in recovery.
Akua Mind and Body is recognized as one of the Best Addiction Treatment Centers in California with a reputable behavioral treatment facility. Learn more about all of our locations and programs throughout California on our website
Andrea Dressler
Akua Mind and Body
+1 8884081110
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