You didn't have any choice in your circumstances as a child, and you didn't ask to witness or experience what you went through.Įarly childhood trauma can interrupt brain development, which can lead to other physical health symptoms in the body. However you proceed, strive not to blame yourself. If you're not sure where to start, you can request a child trauma questionnaire to screen for a childhood diagnosis. Once you realize that you have been affected by childhood trauma, the next step is to reach out for support from a licensed professional. It can leave deep emotional wounds that manifest in the body as chronic aches, pains, and other somatic symptoms.īegin by acknowledging the effects that childhood trauma has had on you. Trauma has a lasting effect on the body and mind. The first step to overcoming early childhood trauma is to acknowledge the reality that your pain is not only stemming from a valid mental health issue but also as a physical medical issue. When you visit a psychiatrist or other licensed mental health professional for assessment and screening, you'll be presented with a series of questionnaires, including a childhood trauma questionnaire or the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Questionnaire that asks questions about the first 18 years of your life to determine if you're potentially experiencing the effects of traumatic childhood events. For example, a person who is in therapy for childhood trauma and who also has an addiction to alcohol will be required to attend additional therapy sessions and participate in programs for alcohol treatment simultaneously. When people get treatment for childhood trauma that have compounding issues like alcohol addiction or substance use, they should seek treatment for all of the issues concurrently. Other common symptoms of childhood trauma in adults include the development of substance use disorders and addiction issues with alcohol which often coincide with a mental health diagnosis. Adults who have been recently diagnosed with this new form of PTSD are likely to be screened for childhood trauma during their initial consultation with mental health care providers. The situation with complex post-traumatic stress is the same in that, the earlier in childhood that people are exposed to these compounding traumas, the more severe their symptoms are likely to be in adulthood. Complex post-traumatic stress disorder is a more severe form of post-traumatic stress that happens as a result of compounding trauma. People who experience more than one trauma in their lifetime often end up experiencing a complex form of post-traumatic stress disorder called C-PTSD. Other examples of events that can trigger PTSD include war, domestic violence, vehicular accidents, and being taken hostage or kidnapped. PTSD normally develops in response to being a part of or witnessing a highly traumatic event, such as a morbid death, cataclysmic natural disaster, or sexual assault. Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder that affects approximately 3.6% (or 7.7 million) of the American population annually. Traumatic events experienced at an early age can develop into post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), depression, and anxiety. The damaging and traumatic effects of experiencing childhood trauma last a lifetime. When the symptoms of childhood trauma do manifest in adulthood, they often show up in the form of developmental disorders or mental health disorders. Earlier exposure to traumatic events in childhood can affect brain development, and these effects may not show up until later in life. Symptoms of childhood trauma in adults are affected by early exposure. You can alternatively text START to 88788. If you or someone you know is experiencing any of the situations described above, you can reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline or call their 24/7 number at 80. Examples of childhood trauma include being a witness to or survivor of domestic violence, family violence, neighborhood violence, physical abuse, sexual abuse, natural disasters, or war. According to mental health researchers, the earlier in their lives that a child experiences trauma, the longer lasting the effects are likely to be. Overcome PTSD In Online Therapy Symptoms of Childhood Trauma In AdultsĮarly childhood trauma involves traumatic experiences that occur in a child's life when they are between the ages of 0-6.
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