Our childhood is often associated with innocencethe honestythe courage and the creativity more pure. Resilience in children is something that many applaud and admire. However, children are also tremendously vulnerable. They can withstand the tides of time, but they are still faint of heart.
While they may be very expressive, they may not have the words to craft complex speeches or bring out what’s troubling them, and they may often end up holding back their emotions.
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This often occurs when children have to deal with traumatic experiences. The fathersAs they face their own problems and concerns, they expect their children to forgive and forget. What they don’t understand is that children are impressionable human beings, who observe and become aware of possible breakups Y conflicts that are about to happen. Some events of this type can even mark them for life and continue to affect them throughout adulthood.
What is childhood trauma?
Childhood trauma, as the term suggests, is a traumatic experience experienced by a person during their childhood. It consists of any event, action or instance that threatens the physical well-being Y mental of a little boy. For example, it can be an accidental event leading to a near-death experience, or the loss of a loved one, and it can even constitute any physical or sexual abuse.
Other than that, bullying, parental divorce, separation from a loved one, or exposure to violent behavior can lead to a childhood trauma that can affect a person for a long time and can sometimes even go unresolved for years.
Childhood trauma can also induce long-term stress disorders and can lead to instability in life. Sometimes, can even go unnoticedwhile slowly affecting your life in many ways.
The fears and frustrations of childhood can be perpetuated in traumas of adulthood / Photo: Pexels
Is it a matter of the past or can it impact you as an adult?
As much as you want a childhood trauma stay in the past, always comes back to haunt you as an adult. Some may even suppress the idea, while others don’t even notice it until it comes back to haunt them.
Our childhood experiences can be very different. We choose to treasure some memories, while letting go of bitter memories. However, it is very unlikely that we will forget something tragic and unresolved.
Although the trauma is the result of an eventan action or any other instance, remains unresolved due to lack of discussion and the child’s inability to understand the whole situation.
Unlike adults, children do not have the life experiences, education, and intellectuality to understand why a certain event occurred, which is why they are more likely to blame themselves for anything that happens to them. and the people they love. This takes place and leads to many unresolved feelings and emotions in the future.
How do you know if your childhood trauma is affecting you as an adult?
When we are young, we do not have the fluidity to express ourselves. We experience many things growing up, but we rarely talk about the issues that affect us the most. But children need help instead of waiting for them to talk. They need help and support, and if the parents neglect that aspect, this could cause serious damage to them during their adulthood.
The lack of help, support, and therapy may have forced a child to repress everything they have experienced, which eventually begins to affect their lives as they grow older. Some of the indicators of unresolved trauma affecting you as an adult include:
- unstable relationships
- Lack of self-confidence and inability to trust other people
- Intense feelings of guilt and shame
- Turning to addiction to forget past traumas
- poor mental health
Childhood is a period of discovery that requires care and love / Photo: Pexels
Are there long-term risks?
Childhood trauma can also have a long-term impact on Health. Since it has followed him into his adulthood, it is likely to remain until it is resolved.
It can pose various health risks and can lead to high-risk behaviors like alcohol consumption, smoking, and more. Aside from that, it can also increase the risk of chronic diseases like cardiovascular complications, diabetes, asthma, and depression.
Stress and anxiety can also be prevalent in people who have experienced childhood trauma.
According to a 2016 study published in Psychiatric Timesthe prevalence of suicide attempts was much higher in adults who experienced trauma, such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, and domestic violence from parents, as children.
How to help
There are many ways you can help someone who is dealing with childhood trauma. Some of them are the following:
- Communicate with people who seem distressed and concerned, and go the extra mile to encourage children to talk about their feelings and emotions.
- Don’t be dishonest, rather be empathetic and tell the truth.
- When talking to a child, make them feel safe and let them know that you are always there to protect them.
- Take action and address any signs of childhood trauma. Don’t let it get to you or anyone you love as an adult.