The Benefits of Working Through Childhood Trauma
Are you still experiencing the stinging emotional effects of your childhood? Do the thoughts of them leave you mentally paralyzed or affect your relationships? If this is the case, you might be experiencing childhood trauma.
Childhood trauma can come in varying ways including accidents, natural disasters, medical trauma, physical, or sexual abuse. Regardless of the type of trauma it creates a lasting mental impact because it threatens the child overall outlook of life.
Sadly, childhood trauma is often pushed under the rug as an event that will pass with time but in reality, this only gives room for it to fester. Hiding childhood trauma is never done willingly but most times out of fear and the inability to mentally connect with the experience.
Family and societal upbringing also plays a significant role in childhood trauma because majority of the time we expect children to just manage challenging episodes in their life and be strong without talking to them about how they feel or even seeking professional help. Parents harbor unresolved trauma for their children by believing that the impact will not be lasting or as a child they will not understand.
Childhood trauma doesn’t have to become a permanent fixture, by dealing with it from its onset and processing all the emotions you will be able to reap unimaginable benefits.
Here we will discuss the benefits of truly processing childhood trauma and improve your living experience. There still hope even if you didn’t deal with in during your childhood years.
The Signs of Childhood Trauma as a Child and Adult
There are significant signs that you can notice readily in children and adults if they were faced with childhood trauma.
For children symptoms that might surface include:
Behavioral problems
Emotional upset
Anxiety
Depression
Self-regulation issues
Inability to form attachments
Difficulty relating to others
Nightmares
The loss of acquired skills
Regression
Loss of appetite
Change in sleep patterns
For adults unresolved childhood trauma can appear with the following symptoms:
Emotional outbursts/challenges
Anxiety
Anger
Physical Illness
Numbness
Disorientation
Reactions that mimic childish responses
Unease in certain surroundings or around particular individuals
Low self-esteem
Trust Issues
Frustration outbursts
People pleasing attempts
Dislike or fear of being judged
Chronic Stress
Being able to look at the symptoms of childhood trauma during your childhood years and as an adult you are able to clearly decipher if you are experiencing childhood trauma in your adulthood years.
As adults with childhood trauma, we believe that how we respond to life events and relate to others is simply how we are and we cannot be changed but the truth is it is heavily influenced by your childhood experiences that you mentally labeled as trauma.
Recognizing childhood trauma is the first step to resolving it and reconnecting with your inner child. Many may ask how will healing be of any benefit? The truth is there are numerous benefits to dealing with childhood trauma.
Watch this
Benefits of Dealing with Childhood Trauma
A lot of childhood trauma that goes unnoticed is as a result of emotional or physical needs that were neglected. When these needs are not met it can show up in the form of trauma that often transcends into adulthood years.
Dealing with childhood trauma in your adulthood is critical as it helps one to lead a healthier lifestyle emotionally and mentally.
Some clear benefits of dealing with childhood trauma by your self or with the assistance of a therapist include:
Recognition of your triggers
Develops and promotes healthy coping mechanisms
Greatly minimize symptoms
How Unprocessed Childhood Trauma Can Affect All of One’s Interpersonal Relationships
Believe it or not childhood trauma affects your emotional state and is reflected in your interpersonal relationships. When childhood trauma haunts your adult life you can be sure that you will respond to life in particular ways like expecting danger, anticipating betrayal and or fear of harm in current or new relationships.
There is a constant distrust and feel of vulnerability within interpersonal relationships especially if triggers present itself. This often leads to a state of confusion in deciphering what’s safe in their relationships.
Ways One Can Connect with Their Inner Child
Interestingly seeking to connect with your inner child can bring about healing for your challenge with childhood trauma. You may ask what exactly does the term inner child mean?
Your inner child is a psychological term that speaks to your unconscious childlike nature as an individual. This means that everyone has this side and connecting with your inner child means learning to treat ‘him’ or ‘her’ respectfully and lovingly.
Choosing to take care of your inner child is a choice and maybe accomplished in the following ways:
Starting counseling sessions with a licensed therapist. During sessions make it a duty to dialogue with your counsellor from your inner voice
Journaling
Meditating
Practicing play therapy techniques in counseling sessions
Practice to parent yourself
Do things you enjoyed as a child
Reconnecting with your inner child is sometimes referred to as parenting yourself. The benefit of this process is truly powerful and impactful. Some major benefits you can look forward to are, unmasking hidden memories, resolving unmet needs, believing in yourself, gaining the power to finally set boundaries, prioritizing self-care, embracing self-compassion, falling in love with yourself, being less self-critical, opening up to life enjoyment, defeating heavy codependence, and the embodiment of self-confidence.
Its important to reconnect with our inner child as it reminds of the many things that were suppressed that may put the pieces together in our adult life and grant us the mental and emotional wellbeing, we deeply desire.
Final Thoughts
Childhood trauma greatly impacts the world view of the individual because it uproots their sense of safety and wellbeing in the world.
In extension this affects how they relate and interact with other in their life, reflecting strain, indifference, lack of trust and overall disconnect.
Healing is essential to leading a fulfilled life.
The content provided in this article is provided for information purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice and consultation, including professional medical advice and consultation; it is provided with the understanding that SINGLE GIRL CLUB, LLC (“SGC”) is not engaged in the provision or rendering of medical advice or services. You understand and agree that SINGLE GIRL CLUB, LLC shall not be liable for any claim, loss, or damage arising out of the use of, or reliance upon any content or information in the article.
Shop Now
