Experienced Trauma as a Child? Here’s How It Could Be Impacting You as an Adult
They say that your past defines you. It makes you into the person you are today.
You can probably recall some memories from your childhood. As you think of them, you may even be able to hear certain sounds or smell certain things. It’s almost as if those memories can bring you back to that moment in time. A smile may even form on your face as you think about it.
But some of these memories may not bring you happiness or comfort. Some memories may bring feelings of stress, anxiety, and uncertainty.
Everyone has positive and negative memories. However, not everyone has traumatic memories that are still having an impact on their daily life and routine to this day.
This is how your traumatic childhood memories could be impacting you as an adult.
Mental Health Problems
The thing about trauma is that it’s not something that just goes away on its own. Even if you feel like you buried it or it’s been years and it’s done and over with, there’s a good chance that it will resurface if you have unresolved feelings. If you experienced some type of trauma, especially in your childhood, there’s a good chance that you may have developed other mental health issues. Mental health disorders like depression and anxiety are common among people who experienced some form of trauma.
In addition to mental health issues, trauma can cause physical pain and harm to the body. These negative feelings, especially when buried deep inside yourself and not actually dealt with, can lead to severe and chronic stress, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and even put individuals at risk for certain types of cancer.
Self-Isolation and Withdrawl
In addition to mental health problems, individuals who experience trauma may also experience issues forming and building relationships in their lives. Experiencing any type of trauma can make it increasingly difficult to trust others. As a result, an individual with unresolved trauma may carry these feelings with them into their adulthood. They may have a difficult time getting close to others due to their natural instinct of wanting to self-isolate and withdraw. They also might not have the necessary social skills in order to maintain relationships. Relationships are a big component of all lives. When an individual chooses to opt out of these types of interactions and connections, they can further hinder themselves and their development.
Relationship Problems
When relationships do occur in someone’s life that has trauma, it’s common for these individuals to gravitate toward relationships that are unhealthy. Despite not wanting to relive their trauma, their main associations with relationships may be based on that trauma, so it may be all they know or are familiar with. Because of this, they will gravitate towards individuals who are emotionally unavailable or abusive themselves.
Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
There’s a good chance that if you’re still struggling with trauma from your childhood, you probably developed some unhealthy coping mechanisms. Individuals with unresolved trauma tend to gravitate towards short-term solutions to help them feel better at the moment like drinking, gambling, or using or abusing drugs and alcohol. The problem with short-term solutions is that they are only helpful for a short period of time. Plus, some of these unhealthy coping mechanisms can actually lead to worsening signs and symptoms down the road.
How to Get Help
If you have unresolved trauma from your childhood, it’s extremely important to seek help as soon as you can. It’s not too late to get the help you need and deserve, even if it’s been years since the trauma occurred. Trauma doesn’t just go away on its own. The longer you go without addressing these negative thoughts, feelings, and emotions associated with the trauma, the longer these feelings will linger. It’s time to take back control of your life again. We’re here for you when you’re ready. Reach out to us today to set up a consultation for trauma therapy.
