Trauma Responses in Latinx Women

By: Gabriella Gueits, LSW at Perez Therapy, LLC

Ahmadreza Najafi - Black & white portrait

Over the last few months, as I have talked with clients, particularly Latinx clients, I find myself having similar conversations and resonating with the emotions clients share with me related to their identity, family, and culture. Something that I am constantly reminded of, and in awe of, is the strength y fortaleza of Latinx women. As a Puerto Rican woman myself, I enjoy working with other Latinx women and navigating the complexities of what it means to be Latinx in the U.S. Community. Representation within the mental health field is paramount in healing for many Latinx women, especially when in our communities and culture mental health is so often left unaddressed and stigmatized. 

Some of the experiences my clients have shared have been traumas that they’ve either experienced themselves (interpersonal trauma) or that have been passed down from their families, often referred to as generational trauma. Even if we didn’t directly experience the trauma that our ancestors experienced, such as war, colonization, poverty, racism, forced migration, etc., these traumas, and the impact of these traumas on a family, can be passed down through cultural beliefs or practices and relationships.

Trauma, when left unaddressed, lies dormant in our bodies. It is true what Bessel van der Kolk says, “the body keeps the score”. It has lasting impacts on both our body and mind. This is also true for Latinx women. Most of my clients are often not aware of how much the trauma they’ve endured has infiltrated and influenced their beliefs, experiences, decisions, relationships and impacted both their physical and mental health. If I’m being honest, I’ve also had a similar experience with my own mental health journey. It wasn’t until I became a therapist and started learning about trauma myself that I began to truly understand how deeply rooted some of my traumas were and that most of these traumas came from my family and the generations before them. 

The trauma that we experience, or that gets passed down, can show up differently and can be felt differently for each person. When there is trauma present, our body attempts to respond to what our brain perceives as “danger” or “threat” in the way that it feels keeps you safe, often referred to as “survival mode” or our trauma responses. These trauma responses are involuntary or automatic responses that occur in response to the threat that our bodies and brain have developed to protect us physically and psychologically. There are 4 types of trauma responses, known as the 4 F’s of Trauma:

• Fight: This looks like engaging in confrontational behavior (such as fighting, kicking, screaming) to protect yourself from others

• Flight: This looks like running away from or leaving a potentially threatening situation

• Freeze: This feels like not being able to move or respond and being immobile or almost paralyzed

• Fawn: This looks like submissively going along with or agreeing with a person who is harming you or even seeking their approval 

For Latinx women, I have observed unique ways that these trauma responses show up in the roles they carry into their families or relationships. In Latinx families, there exist cultural scripts that often dictate how the family should function. These scripts may look different but are derived from systems of oppression, such as machismo y colonialismo. Some of the roles I have heard about from my clients include “la hija perfecta (the perfect daughter), la fuerte o la luchona (the strong one or fighter)” and caretaker. 

Breakdown - Zimmerman

Being a caretaker often looks like taking on a parent-like role in the family such as when a daughter cares for the needs of the entire family, including their younger siblings, but doesn't have anyone who takes care of them. This person may engage in people-pleasing, which is an example of the fawn trauma response, and seeks validation from their parents while also being sure everyone around them is taken care of, often at the expense of their own health and wellbeing. In therapy, this is referred to as the process of parentification, and this can lead to difficulties in adult relationships. 

The roles of la hija perfecta and la fuerte or la luchona can also create difficulties in adult relationships in the future and are also trauma responses. Having to be “the perfect daughter” carries the weight of maintaining a good image in the family and doing what is expected. This mentality can come from the messaging of advancing or helping the family and being successful whether through school or work. These can be high pressure roles that may honor the family, but not the individual in the role.

While these roles are some examples of experiences that Latinx women have that manifest as a result of trauma in the family, these are not the only ways that trauma is carried. Our bodies often give us a sign that something is wrong. However, when you’ve lived with the trauma for so long, it can become a part of you that feels normal. But being in a constant state of worry or stress is not normal. Here are some signs that what you’re feeling or experience may be a sign of trauma in the body:

• Flashbacks or triggers of a traumatic event

• Hypervigilance or being aware of your surroundings or constantly looking over your shoulder

• Nightmares

• Anxiety and/or depression

• Chronic pain or illness that you’ve never had before

• Trouble sleeping

• Lack of energy or motivation

• Lack of interest in things you used to enjoy

• Difficulty in regulating emotions

• Low self-esteem

• Feelings of guilt or shame

• Body dysmorphia or weight gain/loss

• Dissociation

• Self-destructive behaviors 

• Difficulties with sexual functioning or libido changes

Susan Wilkinson - Boxed in by pain

The list above isn’t an exhaustive list and aren’t the only ways that one experiences trauma, but it is a starting point. If you’ve read this far and anything that I’ve written has resonated, know that you are not alone. It can be extremely exhausting to carry out these roles in the family and live within the effects of the cycle of generational trauma. The cycle of generational trauma is vicious and painful; however, we don’t have to stay complacent in it. Understanding that the cycle exists is the first step in breaking it. Find your community. Seek support from trusted friends or other Latinx women who have similar experiences. Seek therapy. Unlearn narratives that were taught in your family that no longer serve you and cause you more pain and hurt. Foster healthy relationship dynamics. PUT YOURSELF FIRST! It is not selfish to choose yourself, even and especially when that is something you’ve never done before. As a Latinx therapist, I understand how challenging it can be to do this work AND I have also seen tremendous growth in so many Latinx clients that I meet with so I know that it is possible. 

If you’re ready to take that next step and choose yourself, I would be honored to walk alongside you.