What's the impact of Childhood Trauma on Adulthood?

For some, the thought of childhood can bring up memories of happiness, laughter, and love. Childhood is often thought of as a time of innocence, protection, safety, and security.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the reality for children who experience childhood trauma. Instead of having happy, positive memories to look back on later in life, they may be filled with negative and pent-up emotions that they buried deep inside of themself.

Let’s learn more about the connection between childhood trauma and how it impacts adulthood.

What is Childhood Trauma?

Childhood trauma is any type of psychological, physical, or sexual abuse or neglect. Here are a few examples of traumatic events that would fall under childhood trauma:

  • Abuse

  • Separation from a parent or caregiver

  • Bullying

  • Witnessing Intimate Partner Violence between your parents or caregivers

  • Experiencing a life-threatening illness

  • Loss of a loved one

  • National disaster

  • Chaos or dysfunction in your home

  • Neglect

  • School shooting

  • Racism

  • Poverty

  • Sexual Trauma

How Childhood Trauma Impacts Adulthood

No matter how much you’d like to forget your past, childhood trauma isn’t something that can be easily forgotten. Most individuals hold onto the feelings they experienced and learned throughout childhood.

Any trauma can have an impact on how you view yourself, even later in life. Childhood trauma can lead you to feel guilty and shameful about the events that took place, even placing the blame on yourself for what happened to you.

Signs and Symptoms

These are the most common signs and symptoms associated with childhood trauma:

  • Anger

  • Difficulty controlling emotions

  • Disconnected or dissociated

  • Feelings of guilt and shame

  • Inability to connect with others

  • Inability to trust others

  • Having repeated unhealthy relationships

  • Chronic Pain

  • Digestive issues

Mental Health Disorders

Childhood trauma increases the likelihood of being diagnosed with anxiety, eating disorders, and twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression.

Core Beliefs and Repeated Patterns

Adults who went through childhood trauma might form core beliefs that they are unloveable, or everyone leaves them. A common pattern is to unconsciously reenact childhood trauma in your adult relationships.

The Psychobiology of Trauma

Chronic stress and trauma can lead to dysregulation in your nervous system, which is associated with chronic pain, low sexual desire, and mood disorders.

The Impact of Childhood Trauma on Adult Relationships

Adults who underwent childhood trauma are at a higher risk of forming insecure attachments with the relationships in their life.

Let’s take a look at three different attachment styles that could occur:

Ambivalent Attachment

Individuals with an Ambivalent Attachment probably had parents who weren’t the best at maintaining a consistent relationship with their child. These types of parents usually were on and off with the care they provided and the love that they gave. The relationship would consist of a mix of being there for their child sometimes and other times being unavailable. Sometimes even rejecting their children completely. Adults with this attachment style tend to be clingy at times, and other times will push people away, in what can appear to be “I want you; I don’t want you”

Avoidant Attachment

The Avoidant Attachment style develops when a caregiver ignores the emotional needs of a child. This type of attachment style will lead the child to become extremely and overly independent. The desire for independence will be used to protect themself from not having their needs met again. Adults with an Avoidant attachment style may feel smothered and threatened when others try to get close to them. They are likely to want to leave a relationship when there are conflicts or things get hard.

Disorganized Attachment

The Disorganized Attachment style is a combination of Avoidant and Ambivalent attachment. Disorganized attachment occurs when a child is exposed to abuse or neglect. Children learn that their caregivers, who should be a source of safety, are a source of fear, which causes fear of close relationships or intimacy in the future. Adults with this type of attachment style often lack trust and may have a hard time sharing how they’re thinking or feeling. Their nervous system is dysregulated. They may even seem disconnected and not present emotionally in their relationships.

Next Steps

If you want to learn more about whether you have experienced childhood trauma and its potential impact on you, click here to take the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) quiz.

Fortunately, with the right time, attention, and treatment, healing and moving forward in your life after trauma is possible.

Going to therapy and digging up old wounds may seem like a battle you don’t want to fight. Therapy can be a great way to get to the root cause of the signs and symptoms you’re experiencing, regulate your nervous system, find pleasure again, and learn how to have a healthy, mutually loving relationship.

Reach out today to set up a consultation for trauma and or sex therapy.

Women, Sex TherapyJoanne Bagshaw