Try as you might, you cannot change the past. However, you can recover from it. This is essential and encouraging news for the many adults who were traumatized in their childhood. Those terrible experiences often create lingering psychological scars. Your adult life may even be hampered by an anxiety problem like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Until you are able to facilitate healing from your childhood trauma, you may find yourself unable to manage the daily challenges that life throws at you. Fortunately, through a blend of self-help and professional guidance, healing is very much possible.
Examples of Childhood Trauma
Quite often, a trauma in the life of someone under 18 is centered around dysfunction in the home, e.g. parents struggling with substance abuse, mental or physical illness, or a family member being incarcerated. The constant threat might be, physical/emotional abuse, neglect, and some form of domestic violence.
Other broad categories of childhood trauma include:
Separation from a parent or caregiver, including death
Serious illness or other medical condition
Sexual abuse
Accidents
Bullying (including online bullying)
More rare and severe examples are:
Enduring or witnessing extreme violence
Living in poverty
Victimized by crime, war, or terrorism
Natural disasters (like a global pandemic)
The Long-Term Impact of Childhood Trauma
Up to 6 percent of boys and 15 percent of girls develop PTSD after a traumatic event. This insidious condition causes children to become:
Hyper-vigilant
Withdrawn
Anxious
Depressed
Angry
Self-destructive
Even without a diagnosis of PTSD, childhood victims of trauma can become fearful and develop attention-related issues. They may show little or no interest in topics or activities that once pleased them.
Into adulthood, this syndrome can lead to physical health problems (like heart disease and stroke), difficulty maintaining relationships, and a higher likelihood of addiction and/or suicide attempts. As stated above, a blend of self-help and professional guidance is needed to work toward recovery.
3 Steps to Finally Start Recovering from Your Traumatic Childhood
Practice Grounding Self-Care
As you can see from the lists above, trauma takes a toll in many ways. One of the outcomes of this reality is a profound need for diligent self-care. Your body and mind need daily support and you can work steps like this into your routines:
Safeguard your eating habits: make healthy choices and avoid using food as a way to self-medicate
Monitor your work to rest ratio: be sure to engage in exercise or other physical activity every day but it must be balanced by regular sleep patterns
Cultivate some forms of stress management: relaxation techniques can be a game-changer
Meditation and breathing exercises will ground you into your body and make your emotions more accessible.
Keep a Journal
Childhood trauma can speak in many languages and appear in many forms. A journal will empower you. You can keep track of your triggers and name your emotions. By identifying such patterns, you make it possible for you to better manage any debilitating symptoms.
Communicate With Your Inner Child
It may sound esoteric but research shows that this approach works. Have a talk with the younger you. Find old photos, if that helps. Comfort that traumatized child. Assure them, forgive them, and ask them what they need.
Work With a Guide
Finally, childhood trauma is not uncommon and it can influence your life well into adulthood. It cannot be repressed, ignored, or wished away. Even the most effective self-help steps address — at best — about half of your needs. If your adult life is being stymied by the impact of your childhood trauma, you should definitely consider asking for help. A skilled therapist can become your co-pilot of this long and winded flight to recovery. I am an experienced counselor, let’s work through your experience together. Please read more about anxiety treatment contact me soon for a consultation.
