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How to Identify and Address Childhood Trauma in Your Own Life

By September 5, 2023No Comments

 

 

Anything that’s been hurtful to your heart can be traumatic and leave an impact. Any perceived trauma is valid, no matter how big or small.

Childhood Trauma

We tend to think of trauma as big, life changing events. Abuse, domestic violence, war, natural disasters, etc. The truth is, trauma is all about perception. What may be perceived as traumatic by one person may not be perceived as trauma by another. While big traumas are evident, so much of trauma can be subtle. It can happen even with well meaning people who just don’t know any better, who struggle with their own mental health problems and traumas but are unaware. This is the reason why it is so difficult to end cycles of generational trauma.

 

Childhood-trauma

As a child, anything that overwhelms your nervous system can be stored in your body as trauma.  Early trauma creates a disturbance in your nervous system that results in hyperarousal, difficulties with calming self, and misunderstanding of external cues. Adults who were abused as children can have a hard time coping with stress. They can become easily overwhelmed and not know how to calm themselves. Childhood trauma can affect one’s ability to experience positive emotional states, attachment (how we connect with others intimately), empathy (how detached we are or how deeply we feel others emotions) and the lens through which we see ourselves in this world (low self-esteem, negative beliefs). If this sounds like you as an adult, you may have experienced childhood trauma without even realizing it.

Addressing Childhood Trauma

Any experience that causes you to develop self-limiting and negative beliefs about yourself is trauma. When you are not able to allow these experiences/trauma to be processed in a healthy manner, they stay inside and become a problem. And you walk around with this “thorn” in your heart, trying to pretend it’s not there, trying to make sure nothing touches it. Please understand that no matter the trauma, big or small, healing is possible. Sometimes healing means letting go of what’s not helping you anymore (negative beliefs about yourself, self judgments, defensiveness, “shoulds” of life, messages learned from family or society that are limiting, etc). Sometimes you need more help with this. Modalities like EMDR and Attachment Focused EMDR can help not only let go of the negative beliefs about yourself, but also let go of holding all that in your body. It targets your thoughts, feelings, body sensations, beliefs, memories. It looks into your past, present and prepares you for the future by targeting any worries you have about it. It helps you get in contact with your strengths. It naturally changes your negative beliefs about yourself to positive ones.

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Healing Traumas

Living with trauma in your heart and carrying it in your body can be emotionally and physically draining. Understanding your trauma and processing it is the only way to truly let go of these experiences and start your healing journey. A trauma-informed therapist can assist you in realizing all of the traumas in your heart and how they are negatively affecting your life today. Reach out to a therapist in your area to start your healing journey today.

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