At some point in life, we all must have dealt with some other kind of trauma. But the one that stays with us most of the time is -Childhood trauma!
What is childhood trauma?
When a child experiences or witnesses a traumatic event that affects their mental, physical or psychological well-being, the events associated with it are called traumas. Traumas can be of various types and can have different effects on different people. though, a traumatic event for one person may be normal for another.
Some experiences that could potentially be traumatic for children are:-
• Violence at home or school
• neglect from parents or caregivers
• domestic violence
• Bully or racism in school
• Loss of a loved one
• Physical abuse
Such experiences are difficult to process even for a fully developed adult mind so, for a child, it is even more challenging to cope with. Children often blame themselves for these events since they have no other point of reference to why such events occurred.
Consequences of childhood trauma
1) MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER: trauma in childhood has been linked to depression in adulthood, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. Individuals who were abused in childhood, often find it difficult to manage stress and are more likely to use drugs, and alcohol to cope with any stress or depression that may have developed from their past trauma.
2) UNHEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS: People who experience childhood trauma often attract unhealthy relationships and emotionally unavailable or abusive people. regardless of being aware of what they need and want they still choose toxic people due to their unconscious influences from past trauma.
3) CHRONIC ILLNESS: research has shown that people who suffer from childhood trauma are more likely to develop serious illnesses in the later stages of life. This means that a child abuse survivor with mental trauma can develop physical symptoms as well.
4) LACK OF SELF-CONFIDENCE: often people who grow up with traumas lack self-confidence and believe that they’re not good enough. Their lack of self-worth often leads them to grow people-pleasing tendencies and the inability to say no.
5) SOCIAL ANXIETY: people often develop social anxiety as a result of traumatic experiences in the past. Such people withdraw themselves from any social interaction which may cause them anxiety or discomfort. They often isolate themselves and are unable to socialise in day-to-day life.
