8 Ways To Break Generational Curses & Trauma
Break the cycle for good.
Matter Kastelic / Shutterstock Every family has traditions, good or bad, that pass down over the years. Some of those customs are helpful to the new generations while others repeat the same dysfunction over and over.
A toxic family history can be detrimental to the progress of your descendants. This is called a generational curse.
What is a generational curse?
A generational curse is one that passes from one generation to the next. It is bad luck that has permeated your family for a long time, and has the ability to impact your personal and professional development.
There are many different kinds of generational curses. Poverty, anger, and addiction as just a few of the negative things that can seep into the roots of your family tree.
Biblically speaking, generational curses are the result of generational sin or disobedience to God.
In Exodus 34:7, it says, God “punishes the children and their children for the sins of the fathers to the third and fourth generations.”
In Deuteronomy 30:19, it reads, “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings, and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.”
In James 5:16, the Bible gives Christians a scripture on breaking the curse. It says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
How to Break a Generational Curse
Breaking a generational curse is the key to living up to your highest potential in life. If you believe that God is punishing the children in your family, it’s important that you stop the pattern for future generations.
A TikToker by the name of Siete Seven shared some ways to break a generational curse, and set yourself and your family members up for success.
1. Air all of the dirty laundry.
It’s not uncommon for families to bury secrets and trauma. The history of abuse, neglect, or dysfunctionality is too hurtful or embarrassing to bring to light. So, everyone talks around the issues instead of openly discussing them.
Those days are done. It’s time to lift the veil and free your family from suffering from the same things in the future. Expose your abuser, confront the past, and lay all of the ugly truth on the table.
2. Recognize patterns in your family.
If the same thing that happened to your great grandmother happened to your grandmother, then your mother, and now you, there is clear pattern jumping from one generation to another.
Break the mold by putting your foot down, being transparent, and putting protections into place so no one in your bloodline has to suffer the same abuses, patterns, and traumas that you and your ancestors did.
3. Take accountability.
Some generational curses could have been avoided had someone along the line taken accountability and ensured they did not pass it along.
If you are contributing to the perpetuation of curses coursing through your DNA, take accountability for your actions to open the doors of change.
4. Pray or meditate.
Once you are aware of the generational curses in your family, prayer or meditation can help with repelling them and embarking on new ways of doing things.
Through prayer, we can connect with the spiritual realm and heal the curses that have been put in our lives.
5. Try fasting.
Fasting is denying yourself food for a set period of time. It is usually accompanied by prayer and meant to remove the stronghold that evil spirits have on your life.
The Bible mentions this in Matthew 17:21, where it quotes Jesus Christ, “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” Fasting weakens the flesh, thereby allowing the Holy Spirit to take charge.
6. Learn to forgive.
Forgiveness is a strong catalyst in breaking the ties that bind you to the sins of the past. To forgive someone is more for you than it is for them.
Hate and anger create negative energy in your mind and body. By releasing those feelings of anguish and thoughts of vengeance, you allow positive vibes to enter your life and break the chains that kept you stuck.
7. Break away from negative people, places, things, and situations.
Generational curses can be associated with certain people, things that have happened in our lives, or places that conjure up bad memories or experiences.
Break away from anything that doesn’t make your life better. This could be vices like drugs and alcohol, people like family and friends, or places that simply bring you down.
8. Do the work.
The most important part of breaking a generational curse is to do the work. Those who came before you were not able to do certain things for you due to limitations imposed on them.
You have been blessed to not have the same strongholds on your life that they did. The road will be long and hard, but you have a lot of ground to make up. So, air the dirty laundry, address the patterns and do the work to create new ones.
No matter what anyone else has done or not done in the past, your present and future are your responsibility, and yours alone. Once you know that no one has control over your life but you, breaking generational curses will be easy.
NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and the author of seven books. She covers lifestyle and entertainment and news, as well as navigating the workplace and social issues.