Overcoming Childhood Trauma: Therapy for Adults
Some people don't want to acknowledge how much our childhood impacts the people we are today, but as we learn from developmental psychology, we see more signs that it's the foundation for so much of our adult life. It stands to reason, then, that childhood trauma can have profound and lasting effects on adults, impacting our emotional well-being and relationships. To live a truly satisfying and healthy life, it might be really important to work with mental health professionals to identify, process, and treat these emotional traumas as part of a firs step on a journey of healing.
Childhood Trauma in Adults: The Basics
Childhood trauma refers to experiences that were deeply distressing or disturbing during one's early years. This could include experiences like abuse, neglect, witnessing violence, or enduring severe losses. It's crucial to understand that trauma doesn't discriminate – it can happen in any family, in any place, and under various circumstances. These experiences can shape our brain's development, influence our behavior, impact our emotional well-being, and even affect our physical health. Common long-term effects can include challenges with mental health, like anxiety or depression, difficulty in relationships, struggles with self-esteem, and sometimes physical health problems.
Definition and Characteristics of Complex Trauma
Complex trauma in childhood is distinct from single-incident trauma, characterized primarily by its prolonged and repetitive nature. Unlike acute trauma, which results from a single, often unexpected event, complex trauma arises from prolonged exposure to highly stressful environments or situations. This form of trauma is commonly rooted in the child's immediate caregiving system and can manifest as ongoing emotional abuse, physical abuse, as well as sexual abuse, severe neglect, or consistent exposure to domestic violence. These experiences are not isolated events but rather persistent elements of the child’s daily life, deeply ingrained in their routine. The continuous nature of these traumatic experiences disrupts the child’s developing sense of normalcy and safety, profoundly affecting their psychological and emotional growth.
Trauma Originating from Caregiving Systems:
The interpersonal aspect of complex trauma further complicates its impact. Since this trauma often originates from relationships that are meant to be protective and nurturing, such as those with primary caregivers or family members, it breaches the fundamental trust that a child places in these figures. The people who are expected to provide safety and security are the same ones causing harm, leading to a complex mix of emotions, including fear, confusion, and attachment-related anxiety. This betrayal at a formative stage not only damages the child’s ability to trust others but also affects their self-perception and worldview. Growing up in such an unpredictable and harmful environment, children often develop a skewed understanding of relationships and safety, carrying these misconceptions into their adult lives and potentially perpetuating a cycle of trauma.
THE ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES
TEST
It's crucial to understand that trauma doesn't discriminate – it can happen in any family, in any place, and under various circumstances. The effects of childhood trauma can shape our brain's development, influence our behavior, impact our emotional well-being, and even affect our physical health. Common long-term effects can include challenges with mental health, like anxiety or depression, difficulty in relationships, struggles with self-esteem, and sometimes physical health problems, which is why a trauma therapist is recommended.
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MY APPROACH TO CHILDHOOD TRAUMA
My approach
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Did you ever lack enough food, wear dirty clothes, or lack care and protection?
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Did you experience the loss of a parent for any reason?
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Was anyone in your home depressed, mentally ill, or suicidal?
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Did anyone in your home abuse alcohol or drugs?
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Did adults in your home engage in physical fights or threats?
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Did anyone you live with go to jail or prison?
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Were you ever insulted, put down, or sworn at by an adult at home?
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Were you ever hit, beaten, or physically harmed by an adult in your home?
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Did you feel unloved or unsupported by your family?
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Did you endure any unwanted sexual contact?
ASSESSMENT
Understanding and assessing trauma is a vital first step which we can do in the intake or by using evidence based assessment measures,
RECOGNIZE
Recognizing that your experiences were traumatic is a vital first step in coming to terms with how the trauma has affected you.
SAFETY
Creating a relationship with me in which you feel safe to explore memories and feelings from the past is important to me.
EMPOWERMENT
Suzanne Levis
How DO YOU Recognize SYMPTOMS OF CHILDHOOD TRAUMA in Adults?
For adults, childhood trauma can manifest in diverse ways. A person who experienced childhood neglect may grapple with feelings of unworthiness in relationships. Bullying or body image-related trauma can lead to body dysmorphia in adulthood. Recognizing signs of trauma is the first step toward healing.
Signs and symptoms of trauma in adults encompass:
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Chronic stress
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Unhelpful beliefs
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Impulsiveness
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Fatigue
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Establishing healthy relationships is tough
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Eating disorders
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Anxiety and/or depression
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Loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities
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Decline in work or school performance
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Chronic health issues
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Difficulty concentrating
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Panic attacks
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Flashbacks or recurring dreams of traumatic events
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Feelings of numbness or detachment
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Sleep disturbances
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Isolation
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Self-harm
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Suicidal thoughts
Severe trauma can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), characterized by hypervigilance, flashbacks, and emotional detachment when encountering triggers related to the traumatic event. If these emotions persist and disrupt daily life, seeking professional help is essential.
THE IMPACT OF TRAUMA
While complex trauma often leaves no visible scars, its physical consequences are deep and long-lasting. These effects go beyond the immediate injuries, significantly impacting the child's bodily health and development.
COGNITIVE IMPACT
Exposure to such trauma, particularly during critical developmental periods, can severely impair cognitive functions. Children may experience difficulties in learning, often struggling to focus, process information, and retain knowledge. Memory and attention issues are common, as the child's brain is constantly engaged in coping with stress, leaving fewer cognitive resources for learning and memory retention. Additionally, language development and problem-solving skills can be significantly delayed. These cognitive challenges are not merely academic but affect the child's ability to understand and interact with the world around them, potentially leading to long-term educational and occupational disadvantages.
EMOTIONAL IMPACT
Childhood trauma often leads to the development of anxiety and depression, conditions that can persist into adulthood if not addressed. Emotional dysregulation, characterized by difficulty in managing and responding to emotional experiences, is also common. Children who experience complex trauma may find it hard to identify, express, and control their emotions. This trauma can deeply affect their self-esteem and sense of safety, making the world seem like an unpredictable and threatening place. Their ability to form healthy attachments is often compromised, leading to difficulties in building and maintaining relationships later in life.
PHYSICAL IMPACT
Persistent exposure to traumatic stress can lead to somatic symptoms and significant changes in brain development. Children may experience chronic pain, gastrointestinal issues, and other stress-related physical symptoms without a clear medical cause. The heightened and prolonged stress response can disrupt the normal development of brain structures and functions, particularly those associated with stress regulation. This disruption increases the risk for various health problems in later life, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, and immune disorders, as the body remains in a heightened state of alertness and stress.
How DO WE Heal From Childhood Trauma WHEN YOu'RE an Adult?
Healing from childhood trauma as an adult is a challenging yet transformative journey; there are various types of therapy for childhood trauma that have evidence supporting them, but remember the relationship you build with your therapist is what is going to be just as important as their modality.
ACKNOWLEDGE
Begin by acknowledging your specific childhood experiences as trauma. Accepting and validating these emotions is a crucial step in understanding their impact on your present life.
COMPASSION
Be compassionate towards yourself. Avoid self-criticism and shame. Understand that the trauma was not your fault. Embrace your emotions as a natural response to your experiences.
SUPPORT
While trauma may make you want to withdraw, social support is vital. Friends and family can provide emotional understanding and validation. Sharing your feelings can combat the sense of isolation that often accompanies trauma.
Childhood experiences wield profound influence over adult lives, with untreated trauma echoing through time. Seek help, embark on the healing journey, and experience significant improvements in your overall quality of lifeThere are many approaches you can take to working through childhood trauma:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Focuses on recognizing the link between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, helping individuals develop healthier thinking patterns.
Psychodynamic Therapy: Explores the unconscious mind to understand the meaning of trauma and its impact on relationships and coping mechanisms.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Reduces negative emotional responses to traumatic events using bilateral stimulation.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): Focuses on understanding trauma and its effects on thoughts and emotions, facilitating healing.