Symptoms of Childhood Trauma in Adulthood

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network estimates that up to 60% of American adults have gone through at least one traumatic event as a child. Feeling alone and isolated, guilty or humiliated, having trouble trusting others, controlling their emotions, and having physical health issues are all common responses to childhood trauma.

While some people may overcome traumatic experiences as children with little long-term impact, others may experience years or even decades of suffering. Knowing the signs is essential to getting the treatment you require.

Childhood trauma is an event experienced by a child (0-18 years of age) that evokes fear and is commonly violent, dangerous, or life-threatening. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are a type of trauma that can occur in a child.

This type of event may also happen to someone your child knows, and your child is impacted by seeing or hearing about the other person being hurt or injured. When these types of experiences happen, your child may become overwhelmed, upset, and/or feel helpless. These types of experiences can happen to anyone at any time and at any age; however, not all events have a traumatic impact.

Trauma is defined as a deeply distressing or disturbing experience. It can be caused by various incidents, including but not limited to: natural disasters, abuse (physical, emotional, sexual), neglect, witnessing violence, and losing a loved one. All trauma is not equal, though; something traumatic for one person could be seen as typical or easily resolved for someone else.

Traumatic experiences can have a lasting impact on a child’s development. Children who are victims of trauma may have difficulty trusting others and regulating their emotions and may be more prone to developing mental health conditions such as anxiety and mood disorders. It is important to seek professional help if you or your child are struggling to cope with the aftermath of a traumatic event.

Many factors, including exposure to community violence, can contribute to childhood trauma. Traumatic events can happen at any stage of childhood, and the effects can last into adulthood. The following are some of the common causes of trauma:

There is often a link between trauma and the physical presence of a trauma-inducing event, but this is not always true. Witnessing something from a distance can also result in trauma.

The normal stress response occurs before PTSD develops. The progression of a full-blown disorder does not always occur. Accidents, injuries, illnesses, surgeries, and other unreasonable tension and stress sources can trigger it. With the help of friends, family, and individual or group therapy sessions, it is usually possible to effectively control the condition. Within a few weeks, those experiencing a normal stress response should begin to feel better.

The simplest form of PTSD to treat is uncomplicated PTSD, which is caused by one significant traumatic event instead of multiple events. Avoiding traumatic reminders, nightmares, flashbacks to the event, irritability, mood swings, and changes in relationships are all symptoms of uncomplicated PTSD. Treatment options include therapy, medication, or a combination of the two.

Co-occurring mental conditions are common in people with comorbid PTSD. It frequently appears to be associated with problems with substance abuse.

The following are some examples of co-occurring conditions:

The impact of childhood trauma often lasts into adulthood, undermining a child’s self-worth and stability. In addition to heightened anxiety and depression, the trauma can also lead to feelings of shame and guilt, difficulty relating to others, trouble controlling emotions, and heightened feelings of anger as an adult.

Childhood trauma has a wide range of impacts, each unique to the particular child and the incident. Children who come from homes that don’t give them a sense of safety and protection may turn to create their personal coping mechanisms to function daily and simply survive. They can live on eggshells as they become used to being lashed out at by their parents or caretaker. A person becomes highly sensitive to each interaction and others’ moods, fearful that he or she will fly into a rage. These kids learn to adapt by repressing their feelings and disguising their anxiety, anger, and sadness.

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network asserts that there are direct links between childhood trauma and reckless behavior, including smoking, unprotected sex, and developing chronic illnesses like cancer and heart disease. Abuse victims are more prone to feel stress and anxiety in adulthood. These chronic illnesses can bring on physical symptoms and psychological issues throughout life.

CPT can help victims of trauma deal with their feelings and helps them redefine, reanalyze, and explain the traumatic event to alleviate feelings of guilt. When treating PTSD, it is frequently used as a first option, especially when dealing with the lingering effects of childhood trauma on adulthood.

TF-CBT is a kind of psychotherapy that uses cognitive behavioral techniques and humanistic principles to treat childhood trauma. It is highly effective in treating young children, teenagers, and adolescents. A typical treatment schedule is 12-15 sessions.

EMDR is a psychotherapy that involves recalling memories of traumatic events and rhythmic eye movement. It is considered highly useful in addressing unprocessed traumatic memories.

NET treats complex and multiple traumatic events. The timeline intervention is a personalized treatment that focuses on exposing trauma in life’s events. The therapy involves 4-10 sessions and is short-term. The intervention helps patients understand their life chronologically and contextualize events positively or negatively.

PE is a cognitive behavioral therapy that involves exposing patients to traumatic memories. Treatment plans for adults, adolescents, and children will differ. Therefore, children require customized therapy that considers their developmental stages and capacity for involvement. PE typically lasts for three months.

Play therapy is an effective way to address the effects of trauma through play with very young children. Children aged three to twelve are the target population for play therapy.

Support groups are a great way for people who have experienced trauma to connect with others who have been through similar experiences. The support, lack of judgment, and compassion these groups offer to their members can be extremely beneficial in helping people recover from childhood trauma.

An alternative approach to trauma treatment and prevention falls outside clinical medicine. These may also include, among many others, tai chi, yoga, meditation, acupuncture, homeopathy, oriental medicine, massage therapy, herbal medicine, electromagnetic therapy, hypnosis, and creative therapies like dance and music. These techniques are classic approaches to healing trauma without prescription medication.

Integrative, holistic, and functional medicine specialist Dr. Truc Nguyen of Conscious Medicine stated, “From the ACES study, it is important for us to recognize and understand that over 67% of physical health dysfunctions are rooted in childhood attachment traumas. To be effective at managing illnesses, we need to address these traumas. We need to identify and address any childhood traumas to bring resolution to health dysfunction as a holistic approach.”

For someone who has experienced childhood trauma, you may be dealing with several physical symptoms that can impact your well-being. These may include low self-esteem, difficulty forming relationships and trust, and drug or alcohol use issues. Additionally, there is evidence that childhood trauma is linked to health problems such as heart disease, gut issues, obesity, chronic fatigue, brain fog, autoimmune issues, and chronic pain.

If you are experiencing these symptoms, it is important to seek help from our Integrative Functional Medicine practitioner. With proper treatment and support, it is possible to overcome the effects of childhood trauma and live a healthy and fulfilling life.