Post-Slavery Syndrome: Exploring The Clinical Impact Of The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
Post Slavery Syndrome and Intergenerational Trauma
Historical trauma caused specifically by the impact of racism and cultural oppression, creates challenges for both the individual and the collective. Alleyne gives voice to the silent impact of racial oppression by examining how history still plays a part in creating ongoing challenges for the work of transgenerational healing and individuation (the process of emerging into one’s fully hybrid self). The systematic dehumanization of African slaves was the initial trauma, and since that time, generations of their descendants have borne the scars. Black people of all cultural and ethnic persuasions have not been spared the effects of this collective malady. Members of this diasporic group continue to face the ever important challenge of knowing that real recovery from this ongoing trauma and its present day forms of racism, has to start from within. The nature of intergenerational trauma is such that each group must first see to their own healing, because no group can do the other’s work. Alleyne examines this challenge from a psychotherapeutic perspective, by addressing three key concepts: (a)”the internal oppressor” (ie, the internal adversary, Alleyne, 2005); (b) identity shame and its effects on selfhood, attachment styles and parenting behaviors; (c) intersectionality, which highlights the overlapping of multiple oppressions and how this impacts and re-activates the aforementioned two concepts.
I really appreciate this astute break down of generational trauma. It’s so well defined and you make important connections to other cultural responses to/impacts of generational trauma. Can I use the model from your dissertation and the definition of the 5 generations of slavery or is this material you would prefer is not shared?
Wonderful and articulate presentation. I would like to have more of her information. I first learned of the word Intersectionality in Women’s Studies classes, especially when reading Dr Angela Y Davis’ Women, Race & Class. I founded a non-profit organization, http://www.mentalhealthhookup.org in which I use a different methodology for providing services to Adults and Older Adults who have Serious Mental Illness. Often race affects my clients’ view of my skill set. Over the years, I have often observed differential diagnosing of schizophrenia, paranoid type overwhelmingly given to adults of color. In modern times, this has become a rather standard diagnosis with the added “Substance Use Disorder”. More to say if desired.