Trigger warning: this article discusses the onset of trauma.
Childhood trauma does not necessarily mean that you remember every waking detail of your childhood. Experiencing trauma at a young age can impact the way you deal with challenging situations – it can trigger a forgotten part inside you.
Childhood trauma is not necessarily visible, but more of a reflection of your personality, your train of thought, and actions. We do not realize that a small fraction of our personalities could be built from childhood trauma.
However, if you do not remember your childhood, it does not mean you that have not been through trauma. Sometimes, even the smallest action can be traumatic. For example, a parent yelling, getting bullied in school, or lack of attention as a child and not being praised enough could be minor signs of trauma that can be affecting you now in your daily life.
Understanding Different Types of Childhood Trauma
There are many experiences of different traumas that can be affecting you now. Childhood trauma is an event that has occurred either physically or emotionally. Childhood trauma can also be affected by a loved one, like seeing a loved one going through an abusive relationship, exposure to violent media, as well as ongoing stress and living in a stressful household, neighborhood, or school.
However, not every experience occurring to a child can be traumatic. In some cases, a child may grow up and not realize that a certain situation was upsetting or traumatizing.
Recognizing the Past
If you have experienced any sort of trauma in your childhood, it may still be present as traumatic triggers in your adult life. You may worry that your childhood trauma is ruining your relationships, happiness, and other certain areas in your life.
When you have been through trauma as a child, it settles deep inside you to the point where you think it has disappeared but subconsciously still act upon those experiences. Memories come and go, even if you have pushed them away deeply into the back of your mind. There is still going to be parts lingering that can have an affect on your self-esteem alongside other issues.
There is no right way of settling out your childhood trauma, unfortunately. The roots of childhood trauma tend to stay unresolved, but you learn how to cope with them and understand them. Although childhood trauma is “in the past”, some traumatizing experiences have stronger impacts than others. They latch onto you without any warning signs. You cannot make peace with your childhood trauma until you deeply accept and understand the rooted problem. Acceptance is key when making peace with your childhood trauma.
Signs Of Childhood Trauma
Emotional symptoms include –
- Anger
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Emotional outbursts
- Unresponsiveness
- Panic disorder
Physical symptoms include –
- Shakiness
- Nightmares and terrors
- Fatigue
- Physical sickness
- Insomnia
- Constant headaches
Behavioral change symptoms include –
- Eating disorders
- Isolation
- Numbness to emotion
- Disoriented
- Impulsive
- Compulsion
Keep in mind that these symptoms are generalized symptoms and that each individual goes through different symptoms depending on their distinct personality and their coping mechanisms.