Childhood trauma doesn’t go away just because you grow up. There can be a long-term impact on mental health, relationships, and sense of self-worth. Fortunately, knowing the symptoms of childhood trauma in adults, the effect it can have, and how to treat it can help you heal from a painful past. Keep reading to learn more about childhood trauma in adults.
Understanding Childhood TraumaThe termchildhood traumarefers to disturbing and distressing occurrences of physical, sexual, oremotional abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction experienced during the formative years.Childhood trauma can, and often does, have a profound impact on healthy emotional development and overall well-being. It’s linked to long-term consequences and increases the risk of poor mental health and substance abuse. Someresearch suggeststhat children who experience trauma are twice as likely to develop a mental health condition in the future. Childhood trauma survivors also have a higher likelihood of struggling to form and maintain healthy relationships as adults.
Understanding Childhood Trauma
The termchildhood traumarefers to disturbing and distressing occurrences of physical, sexual, oremotional abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction experienced during the formative years.
Childhood trauma can, and often does, have a profound impact on healthy emotional development and overall well-being. It’s linked to long-term consequences and increases the risk of poor mental health and substance abuse. Someresearch suggeststhat children who experience trauma are twice as likely to develop a mental health condition in the future. Childhood trauma survivors also have a higher likelihood of struggling to form and maintain healthy relationships as adults.
Signs of Childhood Trauma in Adults
The availability of support systems — either in childhood or in adulthood — and the use of coping mechanisms can also impact how trauma shows up later in life.
Signs ofchildhood trauma in adultscan include:
Emotional and psychological signs
Emotional and psychological signs of repressed childhood trauma in adults can include persistent or uncontrollable feelings of fear, anxiety, and depression. Regulating emotions or establishing healthy attachments to others can also be challenging.
Common emotional and psychological signs of childhood trauma include:
Behavioral signs
Behavioral signs of repressed childhood trauma in adults can include:
The Impact of Childhood Trauma on AdultsChildhood trauma can have profound and lasting effects on an individual’s life, shaping their adult experiences in multiple areas, especially in personal relationships and overall well-being. Understanding these impacts can help in recognizing the signs and seeking appropriate interventions.“Our past has a great impact on how we view and interact with the world around us. We aren’t always aware of it because we are busy living our life. However, the relationships we form, how we interact with others, and how we react to situations are some ways our past experiences dictate how we deal with situations in the present.”–Talkspace therapist Minkyung Chung, MS, LMHCPersonal relationshipsAdults who experienced trauma during their childhood often face significant challenges in their personal relationships. These difficulties manifest in various forms:Intimacy issues:Struggling to create or maintain close and secure bonds.Difficulty developing and maintaining meaningful relationships:Often stemming from trust issues or a distorted perception of social cues.Challenges expressing emotions:Individuals may feel blocked or uncomfortable sharing their feelings.Interpersonal conflict:Increased likelihood of misunderstandings and conflicts in relationships.Anger, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation:Unresolved trauma can lead to difficulties in managing emotions, which impacts interactions with others.Unhealthy attachment patterns — avoidance or clinginess:These patterns can lead to unstable relationships.Repeating the cycle:Without intervention, there is a risk of perpetuating the same harmful patterns learned in childhood.These challenges significantly affect how individuals form and maintain relationships, often necessitating professional help to break the cycle and foster healthier interpersonal dynamics.“Someone who came from an absent or neglectful family may end up seeking acceptance and belonging with others in a way that can be harmful to them. It’s not uncommon for individuals with childhood trauma to struggle with some level of mental health instability. It’s important to work through these trauma to find the right overall balance.”–Talkspace therapist Minkyung Chung, MS, LMHCWell-beingThe repercussions of childhood trauma extend beyond interpersonal relationships, affecting the overall well-being of the individual. The psychological and physical health challenges associated with an adverse childhood experience include:Mental health conditions:Adults with a history of childhood trauma are more susceptible to various mental health disorders, including adult depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and borderline personality disorder (BPD), with childhood abuse or trauma being a recognized risk factor.Physical health conditions:The ongoing stress from unresolved trauma can manifest as several physical health issues like cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, chronic pain, or substance abuse.Self-care and grooming:Childhood trauma can leave adults lacking basic self-care skills and struggling with personal hygiene, dental care, and household management. Neglect during childhood can result in difficulties with these essential tasks, impacting their overall quality of life.Additional struggles such as low self-esteem and difficulty functioning due to hypervigilance, dissociation, or intrusive memories further complicate the individual’s ability to lead a fulfilling life.Addressing these issues often requires a comprehensive approach involving mental health professionals, supportive relationships, and sometimes medical intervention to manage the physical ailments linked to chronic stress.
The Impact of Childhood Trauma on Adults
Childhood trauma can have profound and lasting effects on an individual’s life, shaping their adult experiences in multiple areas, especially in personal relationships and overall well-being. Understanding these impacts can help in recognizing the signs and seeking appropriate interventions.
“Our past has a great impact on how we view and interact with the world around us. We aren’t always aware of it because we are busy living our life. However, the relationships we form, how we interact with others, and how we react to situations are some ways our past experiences dictate how we deal with situations in the present.”
Personal relationships
Adults who experienced trauma during their childhood often face significant challenges in their personal relationships. These difficulties manifest in various forms:
These challenges significantly affect how individuals form and maintain relationships, often necessitating professional help to break the cycle and foster healthier interpersonal dynamics.
“Someone who came from an absent or neglectful family may end up seeking acceptance and belonging with others in a way that can be harmful to them. It’s not uncommon for individuals with childhood trauma to struggle with some level of mental health instability. It’s important to work through these trauma to find the right overall balance.”
Well-being
The repercussions of childhood trauma extend beyond interpersonal relationships, affecting the overall well-being of the individual. The psychological and physical health challenges associated with an adverse childhood experience include:
Additional struggles such as low self-esteem and difficulty functioning due to hypervigilance, dissociation, or intrusive memories further complicate the individual’s ability to lead a fulfilling life.
Addressing these issues often requires a comprehensive approach involving mental health professionals, supportive relationships, and sometimes medical intervention to manage the physical ailments linked to chronic stress.
How to Treat Childhood Trauma in Adults
Treating childhood trauma in adults is most effective when a combined approach is used. Therapy, medication, and coping techniques can all be hugely beneficial in the healing process.
Therapy
Trauma therapycan be tailored to individual needs based on the severity and duration of the traumatic experience. Sometypes of therapywill be more effective than others, but like any trauma treatment approach, there’s no “one” or “right” way todeal with trauma.
Commonly used forms of therapy include:
Medication
For some people, medication might be a valuable part of a trauma therapy treatment plan. Medication can help manage symptoms of childhood trauma in adults, especially when dealing with comorbid (occurring at the same time) depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Types ofPTSD medicationthat may help survivors of trauma:
Note:Medication should only be used under the advice of a qualified healthcare professional who’s assessed symptoms, medical history, and treatment goals.
Somatic therapies
Somatic therapyis an alternative approach to psychotherapy. It focuses on connecting the mind and body and recognizes that emotional experiences are stored in the body. Somatic techniques like mindfulness, deep breathing, and movement can address childhood trauma symptoms in some adults.
Types of somatic therapies to treat childhood trauma in adults include:
Coping strategies
Coping techniques are designed to help adults deal with childhood trauma. A combination of emotional regulation techniques, self-care practices, and therapy usually gets the best results.
Effective coping strategies for childhood trauma may include:
Heal from Trauma with TalkspaceIf you want to get therapy from someone who understands how to treat childhood trauma in adults, Talkspace is an online platform that makes getting help convenient and affordable. Even if you’re considering medication, Talkspace offers diagnosis and medication management from qualified psychiatrists who are trained to deal with complex trauma recovery.Connect with an online therapist at Talkspace today to start your journey and heal from your childhood trauma.
Heal from Trauma with Talkspace
If you want to get therapy from someone who understands how to treat childhood trauma in adults, Talkspace is an online platform that makes getting help convenient and affordable. Even if you’re considering medication, Talkspace offers diagnosis and medication management from qualified psychiatrists who are trained to deal with complex trauma recovery.
Connect with an online therapist at Talkspace today to start your journey and heal from your childhood trauma.
Sources:
Our goal at Talkspace is to provide the most up-to-date, valuable, and objective information on mental health-related topics in order to help readers make informed decisions.
Articles contain trusted third-party sources that are either directly linked to in the text or listed at the bottom to take readers directly to the source.
Share0Tweet0Pin it1
Share0
Tweet0
Pin it1
