• unitedranker

Childhood trauma can be long-term and have a strong and lasting impact on the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of the individual, even though the traumatic situation does not happen any longer. Some of these initial scars may not be visible but they can cause complex problems in the way one thinks, feels, behaves and relates to others. Understanding how childhood trauma impacts an adult person will assist in realizing the symptoms of the trauma and the approaches to its treatment and restoration. By raising awareness about the long-term consequences of trauma, individuals will be willing to seek treatment and will lead healthier lives with more fulfilling existences.

What Constitutes Childhood Trauma?

Childhood trauma is a traumatic or life-threatening experience in childhood. They can include the abuse (physical, emotional, or sexual), neglect, the sudden loss of a caregiver, domestic violence, or living in noise and/or unsafe conditions. These experiences leave a child with emotional scars because their ability to cope is overloaded.

The Symptoms of Childhood Trauma in Adulthood to Recognize

Signs that childhood trauma is impacting an adult include:

• Constant anxiety, depression or panic
• Intrusive memories or flashbacks to the previous trauma
• Emotional numbness or detachment
• Problems in forms or sustaining relationships
• Poor self-esteem and self-worth
• The inability to control emotions, mood swings
• Long-term physical conditions that need no medical explanation
• Patterns of substance use or risk behavior

The initial step of healing and finding support is recognition.

Mental Health Effects of Childhood Trauma in Adults

Adults who were traumatized as children have a much greater chance of developing mental illnesses that include depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD, and borderline personality disorder. 

The traumatic experiences interfere with normal growth of parts of the brain involved with emotional control, memory and stress regulation, leaving permanent neurological effects. These neurological changes expose one to vulnerabilities to mental illnesses.

The possibility of depression in adulthood has been demonstrated to be two to three times higher when a person has experienced childhood maltreatment. Moreover, in the case of adults with trauma histories as children, high levels of psychological distress, vulnerability, and self-esteem issues, as well as the inability to regulate emotions, are common.

Physical Health Consequences

Childhood trauma has more effects than on mental health, as it also has impacts on physical health. Early developmental trauma can cause chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disease, and chronic pain syndromes. The stress response system in the body is disrupted and the continued elevated level of cortisol may lead to inflammation and destruction of important organs. The negative health consequences of unaddressed childhood trauma have been demonstrated by research to include reduced life expectancy, highlighting the seriousness of the long-term health effects of unaddressed childhood trauma.

Effects on Relationships and Social Functioning

Relational capacity in adulthood is influenced by childhood trauma. As we have mentioned, a very important factor is the disorder of the secure attachments in childhood, which determines the future relations with other people. Traumatic experiences in adulthood can lead to adults having problems trusting other people, intimacy problems, or insecure attachment styles avoidant or anxious dependence. All these patterns can make relationships more difficult, whether it is in love or friendships or even in the workplace.

Cognitive and Behavioral Impacts

The trauma encountered during the development of the brain has the possibility of damaging the cognitive functioning such as memory, attention and executive functioning skills like planning and problem-solving. The adults can experience problems in the academic or work environments due to this. Behaviourally, childhood trauma histories expose adults to the risk of maladaptive coping behaviours like substance abuse, self-harming and risky behaviours. These are often coping mechanisms to deal with their uncontrollable emotions or to dull the pain.

Healing from Childhood Trauma: Paths Forward

Childhood trauma can take a long-lasting toll in adulthood, but there is hope of recovery. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy and eye movement desensitization and re-processing or emotional desensitization and re-processing, as well as somatic therapies, can help process traumatic memories, manage emotions, and rebuild self-esteem.

To build positive relationships with others, healthy coping, and self-compassion are critical parts of recovery. The earlier the intervention the better the chances are of positive results.

Healing of childhood trauma does not involve the obliteration of the past or ignoring that it actually happened. It is rather about learning how to bear those experiences that would not define or narrow down your future. The same survivors who experience trauma find strengths they did not realize they had and develop an aspect of empathy, resiliency and wisdom within the process.

The way forward might not be smooth and easy, but through proper guidance and commitment to the process, it is not only possible that healing and post-traumatic growth can be expected, but wholly achievable. 

At Minds Over Matter, we know that taking the road to recovery takes a great deal of courage. Our experienced group of trauma-informed therapists is skilled in evidence-based treatment interventions that value your particular experience as it directly relates to achieving recovery.

FAQs