Understanding the Connection between Childhood Trauma and Adult Anxiety Disorders

Traumatic events are hard to forget, even if they happened when you were a child. 

Childhood trauma refers to events experienced by a child which were dangerous, violent, or life-threatening. These events may be directly related to the child, or can involve their loved ones, and generally make a child feel unsafe. 

Often, people believe that children will forget about their experiences as they grow up. After all, no one remembers every detail of their childhood. But, traumatic events can have a lasting impact. In fact, they can shape your life—your thoughts, behaviours, and feelings—even as an adult.

Most notably, childhood trauma can often lead to developing mental health conditions, such as anxiety disorders, in adulthood. But why does this happen?

In this article, we explore the link between childhood trauma and adult anxiety disorders.

Also read: Finding Hope Beyond PTSD: How to Start the Healing Process

What is Childhood Trauma?

Traumatic events in childhood can be of many types. Most involve some form of physical danger, but that's not always the case. In some instances, trauma can stem from events which make a child feel overwhelmed, neglected, or isolated.

Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, abandonment, parental substance abuse, witnessing domestic violence, car accidents, natural disasters, bullying, etc., are just a few examples of traumatic events that occur during childhood. However, it is important to remember that while some childhood experiences may be negative, they do not always lead to trauma.

Also read: What Is Trauma Bonding?

How are Childhood Trauma and Anxiety Disorders Linked?

Traumatic events can make children feel abandoned, neglected, and overwhelmed. It can make them feel like they cannot trust their caregivers, who are their primary source of trust and support. Experiencing a traumatic event as a child can make you feel as though the world is a scary and dangerous place.

Such experiences can have long-term effects, which manifest during adulthood. Research suggests a connection between childhood trauma and anxiety disorders, such as generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, specific phobias and more. 

Neurobiological changes

Research shows that childhood trauma can lead to long-lasting changes in one's brain structures and nervous system. Most notably, individuals who have experienced childhood trauma tend to have an enlarged or overactive amygdala. 

The amygdala is the part of the brain that detects threats in the environment. Hence, people with an overactive amygdala seem to be on a constant lookout for signs of danger. Sometimes, they may detect a threat, even when there is none. 

For these individuals, the panic and worry they experience from the perceived threat are real and can be distressing, which can lead to or worsen the symptoms of anxiety. 

Increased hypervigilance

Traumatic experiences during one's childhood can result in an unpredictable, chaotic, and unstable environment. When individuals grow up in an unpredictable environment, it can be difficult for them to know when they may encounter a dangerous or overwhelming situation. Hence, these individuals seem to be on high alert at all times, constantly scanning their surroundings for danger.

Research also suggests that individuals who experience childhood trauma, also have an increased reactivity to stress, which puts them at an increased risk for mood disorders.

Also read: Overcome Stigma: Why Seeking Help from a Therapist or Psychiatrist Matters

If you have experienced childhood trauma and are currently living with anxiety, it is important to remember that help is available. When you work with a mental health professional, it is possible for you to heal from your childhood trauma and manage your anxiety symptoms better. 

Sources:

1. Dibdin, E. (2022, January 31). Why Childhood Trauma Could Be Causing Your Anxiety. Psych Central. https://psychcentral.com/anxiety/the-connection-between-childhood-trauma-and-generalized-anxiety-disorder#next-steps

2. How Childhood Trauma Relates to Present-Day Anxiety and Panic. (n.d.). How Childhood Trauma Relates to Present-Day Anxiety and Panic. https://www.junocounseling.com/post/how-childhood-trauma-relates-to-present-day-anxiety-and-panic

3. Kuzminskaite, E., Penninx, B. W., Van Harmelen, A., Elzinga, B. M., Hovens, J. G. F. M., & Vinkers, C. H. (2021). Childhood Trauma in Adult Depressive and Anxiety Disorders: An Integrated Review on Psychological and Biological Mechanisms in the NESDA Cohort. Journal of Affective Disorders, 283, 179–191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.01.054