Romania lived under a communist dictatorship for 42 years. This fact affected everyone. The purpose of this article is to explain what this phenomenon means and how to fight against this unwanted traumatic legacy.
The term was introduced into scientific literature after the Holocaust, but it applies to anyone who has inherited psychological issues (such as anxiety, PTSD, etc.), emotional struggles, or behavioral patterns passed down from one generation to another following a major trauma experienced by parents or grandparents. The effects on the first generation are obvious, but how do they manifest in a generation that never directly experienced those events?
Social and educational transmission plays a key role in how these experiences are perpetuated. For example, parents in the second generation may pass on messages to their children such as “be careful” or “don’t speak too loudly,” reflections of their own difficult experiences. Parenting styles thus become influenced by fear and hypervigilance, which can contribute to more anxious attachment styles and lower self-esteem in children. In the case of the third generation, things become even more delicate: children often don’t know exactly what their grandparents went through, because they avoid talking about it — it remains a kind of taboo. This silence can make descendants feel less integrated or valued, affecting social cohesion and increasing collective mistrust. Moreover, studies show that the second generation is the most affected of all (even more than the first).
On a biological level, epigenetics also plays a role. Although there are almost no studies on the role of epigenetics in transgenerational trauma in Eastern European countries, we know that it plays a role in other contexts. Simply put, epigenetics means that traumas or stress experienced by parents can alter the way their genes function (without changing the DNA itself), and these changes can be passed on to children, making them more sensitive to stress or anxiety.
These effects can be many and complex, but it is worth mentioning a few. People may experience higher levels of anxiety, depression, difficulties regulating emotions, or intense post-traumatic stress. Feelings of shame or guilt may also be passed down from generation to generation, along with a state of exaggerated vigilance. Within families, parent-child relationships may become insecure, tense, or marked by silence, making emotional expression more difficult.
More broadly, such individuals may have less trust in institutions, be less civically engaged, feel isolated in their communities, and live with a lasting fear of repression or authority.
Group therapy is one of the most widely used and effective forms of help, with numerous positive effects for those affected. It can help restore the social cohesion broken by fear, giving people the chance to normalize their experiences, rebuild a shared identity, rediscover solidarity, and rebuild mutual trust. In addition, group therapy supports emotional expression where silence sometimes persists within families. Unlike individual therapy, which risks remaining focused solely on the individual, group therapy also repairs the relational and community dimension, which is crucial for healing.
In this sense, multifamily therapy also plays a valuable role: it involves the participation of several families together — for example, parents and children — and offers them the chance to build solidarity among families who have gone through the same difficulties. This support network empowers people to move forward while helping prevent trauma from being passed on to children. It is a warm, hopeful way of healing old wounds and regaining trust in others.
Of course, you will find many other resources on this topic on our website.
If you recognize yourself in what has been described here, it is time to understand what you are feeling and to heal — together with people who, like you, are seeking recovery.
“This ends with us.”
