1/ The Root: Understand How Trauma Passes Down
Intergenerational trauma is passed through behavioral patterns and epigenetic mechanisms, which can affect how genes are expressed without changing the underlying DNA sequence itself. It’s not “genetic” in the traditional sense of altering the DNA code, but these epigenetic changes (like chemical tags on DNA) can be inherited across generations, making it both biological and environmental. Parents who were “broken” as kids (through neglect, “cry it out” methods, or harsh discipline) often repeat patterns without realizing it. Maté emphasizes that trauma shapes how we parent: unmet childhood needs turn into adult wounds, which we pass on by not meeting our kids’ emotional needs. Think of the baby crying alone: that’s the first crack in the spirit, teaching them the world is unresponsive and unsafe. To elevate humanity, we start by acknowledging this cycle exists in most families. 2/ Heal Yourself First – Parents as the Breaking Point
You can’t pour from an empty cup. Breaking the cycle begins with adults processing their own trauma. Maté advises recognizing how childhood wounds manifest in addictions, anger, or numbness. Practical steps:
• Self-awareness: Journal triggers—what makes you snap at your kid? Often, it’s echoing your own unmet needs.
• Therapy or support: Seek trauma-informed counseling. Books like Maté’s “The Myth of Normal” or “Break the Cycle” by Mariel Buqué offer roadmaps. 
• Mindfulness: As we talked, meditation touches that “raw” eternal self. Practice daily to quiet the ego’s addictions. This heals you and models wholeness for your kids. One healed parent can shift a lineage.