How Does Childhood Trauma Impact Adults?

Childhood trauma, also referred to as adverse childhood experiences, is an event experienced by a child that evokes fear, overwhelms their ability to cope, and can leave a lasting impact. Typically, these events are dangerous, violent, or life-threatening. Traumatic events don't necessarily have to involve the child, even witnessing violent scenes or their loved ones going through a dangerous experience can be traumatic.

Childhood trauma can result from physical or sexual abuse, an unpredictable home environment, witnessing domestic violence, being in a major accident or natural disaster, and so on. However, it is important to remember that while an experience may be bad, it does not always result in trauma. 

Though children are described as resilient, they are vulnerable to traumatic events. Trauma can disrupt the normal development of a child's brain, leading to long-lasting changes in the way they think, feel, and behave. 

In this article, we will explore the impact of childhood trauma on adults and discuss some ways you can cope with it.

How does childhood trauma affect you?

While there are things that children don't remember when they grow up, forgetting a traumatic event is not easy. When childhood trauma is left unaddressed, its adverse effects become more evident as the child grows up. 

From physical to mental health, and relationships, it can affect many aspects of an adult's life.

Physical Health

Traumatic events can have real, physical consequences. When children witness a traumatic event, it can hamper their development and lead to lasting changes in the brain such as reduced size of the hippocampus (responsible for memory and learning), and less volume in the prefrontal cortex ( affects behavior, emotional balance, and perception).

Research has found a link between childhood traumatic disorder and chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, along with severe health issues such as coronary heart disease and stroke.

Relationship Issues

The attachments and relationships you form as a child, impacts your relationships as an adult. When children experience traumatic events, it can affect the bond between themselves and their caregiver. Such events show the child that they cannot rely on their caregiver, and that the world is a dangerous and scary place. 

These experiences impact their ability to have positive interactions with others, affecting their relationships as an adult. Several studies suggest that adults who have experienced childhood trauma, tend to have less fulfilling relationships as an adult.

Mental Health

Most importantly, childhood trauma can have lasting psychological effects. Childhood trauma is linked to mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, depression, and stress. 

Often, these mental health conditions lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as avoidance, which can make it challenging for adults to acknowledge that they may need professional support.

Coping with childhood trauma as an adult

While childhood trauma can have long-term effects, they don't have to last forever. With the right support and coping strategies, it is possible for you to overcome its negative effects.

Acknowledge the trauma

The most challenging, and scariest, step in seeking help for your concerns can be acknowledging that you need help. Often, people who experience childhood trauma want to forget the event, or blame themselves for them, which can make it harder for them to come to terms with how the event affected them.

Acknowledging that the event happened, and that it wasn't their fault, thus, is the first and most important step in learning to heal from your childhood trauma as an adult.

Also read: How to Recognise and Manage Post-traumatic Stress Disorder?

Seek support from others

Whether from your real-life friends, or peers from a safe and moderated online community group, it is important to seek support from others. 

Those who have experienced childhood trauma tend to isolate themselves from, feeling as though no one will be able to empathise with them. However, it is important to give others around you a chance, and maintain your relationships.

While seeking support from those around you, seeking professional support for your concerns is important too. When you work with a mental health professional, you can not only learn to heal from your childhood trauma, but also learn health coping strategies that help you function better in your daily life. A mental health professional can help you move on from your experience, in a healthy and effective manner.

Treat yourself with kindness

Healing from the effects of your childhood can take time and it is important to be patient. Childhood trauma can make you blame yourself or make you critical of your shortcomings, but negative self-talk can only make the situation worse. 

Remember, your childhood experience has affected you in ways you may not understand just yet, so treat yourself gently.

Sometimes, it can feel that you may not be able to move on from the traumatic events that happened in your childhood, but it is possible. When you have not been able to heal properly from your trauma, its effects can keep coming back and affecting your life. But, with professional help, it is possible to gain control of these events and heal from them.

Sources:

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-are-the-effects-of-childhood-trauma-4147640

https://www.betterup.com/blog/childhood-trauma

https://blueknot.org.au/resources/understanding-trauma-and-abuse/what-is-childhood-trauma/

https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/relationships/steps-to-healing-childhood-trauma-as-an-adult-101653116132187.html