Throughout our early lives we experience a variety of different events, some good and others not. We may have good memories, bad memories, or really, no memories of an event at all – until we do. And when we do, all of the puzzle pieces related to our affect, the way we think, how we treat others and the way they treat us, etc., may suddenly make sense. This could be because all of these things are a result of childhood trauma.
Childhood trauma is when we experience traumatic events early on. This may include abuse, malnutrition, bullying, neglect and many other things. Some people experience symptoms of their trauma during their childhood, while others do not start to experience symptoms until later on in their life. While many children normally start to show symptoms afterwards, there is not always someone that is looking out for these symptoms. Most children do not understand what trauma is and don’t know how to ask for help. This is why it’s commonly not treated until later on.
Healing from childhood trauma can be difficult, especially if you are older and you’re just coming to the realization that you experienced it. The memories may come flooding back at some point unexpectedly, or you may experience a trigger that unwittingly wields you back to an unpleasant event. In any case, recognizing when happen can be difficult, and can cause you to think about ways in which this aspect of life has already impacted you in subconscious ways.
If you notice you have a difficult time maintaining relationships or experience mental health disorders, such as anxiety, PTSD, or depression and aren’t quite sure where these things are stemming from, it may be something from long ago that the brain is trying to suppress.
It is important to remember you can have these experiences without it necessarily meaning that you have trauma, but it can be difficult to accept that you are having symptoms linked to these events and need help. Perhaps some of the behaviors you’ve been engaged in leading up to this epiphany make more sense, or the way you do things (which seems to be different from others in your inner circle) now makes sense. It is a lot to process the flooding of emotions that is inevitable when you consider all of the ways in which you may have been impacted.
You will probably go through a plethora of different emotions and realizations on your healing journey. People with childhood trauma often feel resentment towards the adults in their life that caused the trauma or didn’t recognize the terrible situation you were in. This is completely normal. You have every right to be upset or angry, but you have to find a way to accept these feelings and figure out what you need to do to feel better.
Accepting and recognizing your trauma is an important step in healing. You should also remember to be patient with yourself during this time. Childhood trauma can not be healed in a week, it takes time and treatment to work through your trauma and accept what has happened to you. During this time practicing self-care, doing things you enjoy, and leaning on those closest to you is important. The biggest step to take is starting treatment. The treatment for trauma is normally therapy. Therapy allows you to openly talk about your experiences and feelings without judgment. However, simply talking about your trauma is not enough to heal from it. A therapist will help you accept your trauma and teach you ways to properly manage it throughout your life. Trauma can never be forgotten, but it can certainly be managed to allow you to live a healthy, happy life.
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