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Many people have had traumatic experiences growing up. Sometimes when a childhood trauma is unresolved, it needs to be dealt with later in life. This article explores the topic of unresolved trauma, what it means, how to heal from childhood trauma and what those steps look like for overcoming childhood trauma.
How Do You Heal from Childhood Trauma?
Childhood trauma may crop up later in life. When it does, it needs to be addressed. That’s because unresolved childhood trauma can seriously impair an adult’s relationships, life view, happiness and health.
The question of how to heal from childhood trauma can be complex, however. Sometimes misinformation or confusion in the population at large can be obstacles to finding trusted treatment answers and solutions.
What Is Unresolved Trauma vs. Unresolved Issues?
“Unresolved trauma” is an active and usually disruptive emotional response to a terrible event or experience. Trauma that is “unresolved” can be characterized by mental, physical, emotional and/or behavioral symptoms or distress. Unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, relationship problems and physical symptoms like headaches or nausea are some of the ways that unresolved trauma can manifest, according to the American Psychological Association.
There is an important distinction to be drawn between unresolved childhood trauma and unresolved childhood issues, both of which may benefit from therapy. Many people in adulthood may look back at how they were raised and identify areas of dysfunction (intense sibling rivalry, an emotionally distant parent, etc.) In some cases, they may be able to trace the roots of a mental health condition like depression to specific issues in childhood.
While these issues may be significant enough to warrant therapy, they do not entail the experience of a traumatic or shocking event or situation during childhood. In this case, the more appropriate term for a person’s experience would be “childhood trauma.”
What Are Common Sources of Childhood Trauma?
According to experts, there are many sources of childhood trauma. For example, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) lists 12 common types of childhood trauma. Briefly, and in alphabetical order, these include:
- Bullying – The term refers to the intentional and unsolicited act of inflicting harm (emotional, physical, psychological and social) on someone less powerful, especially children.
- Community Violence – Children who witness intentionally committed violence in the community can be affected by this type of trauma.
- Complex Trauma – According to the NCTSN, complex trauma refers to both the child’s exposure to more than one traumatic event and the long-term and wide-ranging effects from the trauma. This requires professional treatment for the child to learn how to heal from childhood trauma.
- Disasters – The list of disasters that can cause childhood trauma when children experience them includes hurricanes, tornados, floods, earthquakes, wildfires, and extreme weather events such as drought, intense heat, wind, and rainstorms.
- Early Childhood Trauma – These traumatic experiences occur in children from the ages of birth to 6 years.
- Intimate Partner Violence – A child may witness harm inflicted on a parent by another parent or partner (a.k.a. “intimate partner violence” or “domestic violence”).
- Medical Trauma – Medical procedures and illnesses that a child experiences may result in physiological and psychological trauma, called “medical trauma.”
- Physical Abuse – When a parent or other caregiver does something to cause physical pain to a child, this is physical abuse. It includes a parent or other caregiver slapping, kicking, hitting, or neglecting a child.
- Refugee Trauma – Being displaced from a home or country and forced to flee to unfamiliar areas can cause tremendous emotional uncertainty in a child. While many children may be able to overcome this type of childhood trauma, others suffer the effects afterward.
- Sexual Abuse – Sometimes referred to as betrayal trauma, sexual abuse trauma is perpetrated by an adult or a person older than the child. It is for the pleasure/benefit (sometimes financial) of the adult. Consequently, the affected children lack coping mechanisms and are ill-equipped for how to work through childhood trauma.
- Terrorism and Violence – Shootings, bombings, and other types of terrorism using violent means are other sources of childhood trauma that can have lasting negative effects.
- Traumatic Grief – When someone the child knows dies, especially if that individual is a parent, the intense emotions surrounding the death may be too much for the child to handle. This sets the stage for the type of trauma known as traumatic grief. Children may find it difficult to process their grief, making everyday life a struggle. They also have trouble recalling positive memories of the deceased.
Anyone who has experienced one or more of these common types of trauma as a child may need help for how to heal from childhood trauma.
How Can Childhood Trauma Manifest?
Children who have experienced childhood trauma may respond in different ways depending on their age at the time of trauma. Young children (under the age of five) may become excessively clingy, have crying fits, display irritability, temper tantrums, engage in thumb-sucking or bed-wetting and act out the traumatic event during play. They also complain of stomachaches, headaches and other physical symptoms.
Between the ages of 6-11, children who have had no help learning how to heal from childhood trauma may show signs of an inability to concentrate, have trouble sleeping, want to spend more time alone, complain of more frequent headaches, stomachaches and/or other physical issues and become irrationally fearful. These children also have difficulties in school, lose interest in activities they enjoyed before and turn away from parents and friends.
Older children, ages 12-17, besides losing interest in activities and having more frequent complaints of headaches, stomachaches and trouble sleeping, may become resentful or angry. They’re also more likely to refuse any help for their problems and may turn to and begin to abuse alcohol or drugs.
The experience of childhood trauma can last long after a child enters adulthood. Researchers studying the long-term effects of childhood trauma point to problems with depression and anxiety stemming from the trauma. Adults who don’t know how to heal from childhood trauma may turn to alcohol or drugs to help numb the painful memories. This can lead to substance abuse and mental health disorders that require professional treatment to overcome.
Other manifestations of childhood trauma in adulthood include difficulties with social interaction, multiple health problems, low self-esteem and a lack of direction. Adults with unresolved childhood trauma are more prone to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicide and self-harm.
How Common Is Childhood Trauma?
Childhood trauma is more common than many people believe. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) estimates that more than two-thirds of children experience some kind of childhood trauma by the age of 16.
When Should You Seek Help for Overcoming Childhood Trauma?
The short answer is to seek help sooner than later, since the longer unresolved childhood issues persist, the greater the likelihood that other negative behaviors and physical and mental health aspects will surface and cause problems.
