30 Years of Healing Past Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome (PTSS)
I’ve been on a 30 year healing journey from Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome (PTSS).
PTSS is a theory developed by Dr. Joy DeGruy that explains the multi-generational trauma experienced by African Americans due to slavery and its continued impact on their descendants. The theory asserts that the brutal, dehumanizing, and systemic oppression faced by enslaved Africans and their descendants has resulted in a set of psychological and behavioral consequences passed down through generations. Although slavery officially ended in the United States in 1865, the effects of this traumatic history are still visible in African American communities today.
As a person of Jamaican heritage born in the United Kingdom, I share many similar experiences of African Americans, in relation to Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome (PTSS) due to our shared history of slavery, colonialism, and systemic oppression. While the historical contexts and post-slavery trajectories differ in the USA, Jamaica and UK, the psychological, social, and economic legacies show parallels.
Similarities in Experiences:
Legacy of Slavery
Like African Americans and Jamaicans, Black Britons also trace their history to the brutal institution of slavery under British colonial rule. The dehumanization, family separation, physical violence, and economic exploitation that defined slavery in the British Empire have left a lasting impact on the descendants of enslaved Africans in the UK. Psychological trauma, such as feelings of inferiority and internalized racism, continues to affect these communities due to generations of systemic oppression.
Colonialism and Systemic Oppression
After the abolition of slavery, Black Britons, like Jamaicans and African Americans, continued to face systemic racial discrimination. Under British colonial rule, African and Caribbean populations experienced economic deprivation and social exclusion, while in the UK, immigrants from the Caribbean (notably the Windrush generation) faced discrimination, limited opportunities, and housing inequality. Just as African Americans endured Jim Crow laws and segregation, Black Britons encountered racialized immigration policies and exclusion from mainstream economic opportunities, creating long-term inequalities.
Cultural Identity and Resilience
Black Britons, like African Americans and Jamaicans, have used culture to preserve their identity and resist oppression. The development of cultural movements such as the Notting Hill Carnival and the rise of Afro-Caribbean music in Britain, like reggae in Jamaica and hip-hop in the U.S., have served as powerful symbols of resistance against colonialism and racism. These cultural expressions have fostered resilience and unity, helping marginalized groups assert their heritage and strengthen community bonds.
Reaching my teens in the creative politically charged 80’s in London, has resulted in my preference for grassroots creativity as a strategy for change. It is the trademark of my journey that I explored all alternatives of everything, including healing from a young age.
Economic Disparities and Social Struggles:
Black Britons, like their counterparts in Jamaica and the U.S., have struggled with economic inequality, much of it rooted in the historical exploitation and marginalization of their communities. In the UK, post-colonial migration from the Caribbean often led to low-paying jobs, limited social mobility, and economic disenfranchisement. Similarly, African Americans and Jamaicans have long faced challenges related to wealth disparity, unemployment, and poverty, legacies of both colonialism and systemic racism that continue to affect these communities.
My parents were proud immigrants to London and I witnessed a focus and dedication to making the most of their opportunities in London. My father, a retired self-employed painter and decorator recently told me of his first jobs in the UK and how his aspirations led him to continually improve his status and that of our family. Similarly, my mother secured a position in a fashion company that ensured higher than average wages for a woman of her educational background. The combined efforts of my parents ensured their dream of owning their own home and a comfortable childhood for my sibblings and I.
Differences in Experience:
While there are similarities, it’s important to note differences as well. Jamaica gained independence in 1962, allowing for national control over its policies, even though economic challenges and the effects of colonialism remain. In contrast, African Americans have had to navigate their place in a society that maintained systemic inequalities even after slavery and segregation ended.
In summary, while African Americans and Jamaicans share similar legacies of slavery, colonialism, and oppression, their unique historical paths have shaped different but related struggles for identity, equality, and healing. Understanding these shared histories can provide a framework for addressing lingering traumas in both communities.
Symptoms of PTSS:
Dr. DeGruy describes PTSS as manifesting in three key areas:
Vacant Esteem: A lack of self-worth or a diminished sense of value stemming from internalized negative beliefs about oneself. This often originates from the dehumanization experienced by enslaved people and the subsequent internalization of racist ideologies.
Racial Socialization: Enslaved Africans were taught to distrust and devalue members of their own racial group. This has led to internalized racism, conflict within African American communities, and the continued struggle for racial unity.
Learned Helplessness: Generational trauma can foster feelings of powerlessness, where people feel as though they cannot influence their circumstances or change societal structures. This is seen in the reluctance or inability to challenge unjust systems, passed down through generations.
Impact and Relevance:
PTSS helps explain contemporary issues facing people of African descent in the USA with similarities to the Caribbean and the UK highlighting the disparities in mental health, education, employment, and socioeconomic status. The legacy of slavery has contributed to cycles of poverty, violence, and diminished opportunities, often reinforced by systemic racism in modern institutions. Moreover, PTSS highlights the need to address unresolved historical trauma, both at individual and community levels with a focus on healing.
Healing and Solutions:
Dr. DeGruy emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and understanding PTSS as a necessary step toward healing. Through open dialogue, education, and culturally relevant mental health interventions, individuals and communities can begin to break the cycles of trauma, reclaim a sense of self-worth, and heal from the lingering effects of slavery.
It is no accident that my work is now focused on signposting health hacks and empowering others to fully embrace their healing journey. My childhood in the 70’s, teens in the 80’s and early adulthood in the 90’s was a continuing experience of learning, avoidance, blocks and challenges. In a ocean of racism I was navigating a ship to a destination of wholeness, wellness and total humane expression.
During the journey which continues I seek to provide the quickest route (a hack) on a long journey.
The legacy of trauma is one that afflicts the mind and the heart initially, before then manifesting in the body as illness and studies are showing the correlation between trauma and debilitating illnesses in the USA and UK which is why hacks are a vital part of the healing.
My somatic bio-hacks have included:
Nutrition and Fasting - to change the legacy of processed foods, overeating and non-indigenous diets
Meditation - to access deeper levels of healing and consciousness
Brain hacking - to rewire billions of negative messages over the decades of my life
Breathwork to fully connect to the body and release trauma from the body
Yoga and Chakra alignment as a path to address my spiritual self