4 Things You Are Likely Doing Because of Childhood Trauma
Did you know that about 61 percent of adults have experienced at least one traumatic childhood event? Trauma is defined as any significant negative event or incident that shaped us. While things like natural disasters, acts of violence, or loss of a parent certainly are traumatic, trauma can also be things that we wouldn’t necessarily think of as a trauma, such as losing your beloved pet dog, being teased for your clothing, or moving to a different state. Any impactful situation or moment that made you feel bad, scared, hurt, or ashamed can be called a trauma.
By this definition, most of us have experienced some degree of trauma in childhood and how well we cope in our lives as adults depends largely on how much we’re willing to recognize and work through our traumas. You’re probably not even aware of how your trauma is affecting your adult life, so today I’m going to share four things you’re likely doing or experiencing as a result of childhood trauma. Being able to recognize manifestations of childhood trauma is the first step in healing.
1. Passive-aggressive behavior
If you experienced childhood trauma, you likely carry a lot of anger that you don’t know how to safely or properly express. Rather than confronting your painful emotions and working through them, you bury them and unconsciously resort to passive-aggressive behavior to release some of your pent-up anger and frustration. This could look like making backhanded compliments, refusing to communicate, or sulking. Although this behavior is simply your brain’s way of trying to help you release these painful emotions, acting in a passive-aggressive way is not healthy and can ruin relationships.
2. Low self-confidence
If you were made to feel worthless or unwanted as a child, you may grow up believing that you’re not good enough and don’t deserve good things. When this belief spills over into adulthood, it can cause you to not feel worthy of the attention of certain people, the title of a certain job, or even being successful. Having low self-confidence can drastically hinder your potential and the direction of your life.
3. Issues with anxiety, fear, or obsessiveness
A child’s brain is shaped by experience. This means that if you grew up in an environment where you didn’t feel entirely safe or you experienced a significant traumatic event, your brain likely developed in a way that makes you hyper-alert to danger. This can lead to mental health issues as an adult such as anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It can also lead to difficulty identifying, expressing, and managing emotions.
4. Engaging in high-risk behaviors
If you endured trauma in your childhood, you’re more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors as a way to escape the painful emotions that linger underneath the surface. This could include smoking, drinking, doing drugs, having unprotected sex, or putting yourself in dangerous situations. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, which included over 17,000 participations ages 19 to 90, found that traumatic childhood events can dramatically increase the probability of engaging in high-risk behaviors. These high-risk behaviors are, well, risky and can lead to a slew of physical and mental health issues.
Confronting your past
It’s not easy to face the pain of the traumatic events you experienced as a child, but it’s a necessary part of improving your life and well-being. The feelings you’re having and things you’re experiencing are normal in these circumstances and are nothing to be ashamed of.
One of the best ways to start addressing trauma from childhood is by going to therapy. A therapist can help you confront, unpack, and move past your trauma so you can put these destructive behaviors and feelings behind you and step into a more happy, productive, balanced life.
References:
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/fastfact.html
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/index.html
