but you were so young when that happened you hardly even remember it how can it even affect your personality now saying things like these cannot undermine the fact that childhood drama exists and even if you don't exactly remember it it still leaves an impact on you the American psychology Association defines trauma as an emotional response to terrible events often resulting in lasting mental and physical effects childhood trauma can occur when a child Witnesses or experiences overwhelming negative events this type of trauma Falls within the category of interpersonal trauma which means trauma that happens between people
and usually occurs in relationships with abuse assault neglect violence exploitation or bullying but what does it really mean can childhood trauma affect your life as an adult the answer is yes research has shown that adverse childhood experiences are much more common than acknowledged and can have severe impacts on adult Health even 50 years later International surveys show that childhood traumatic experiences are common across the world these distressing events from early life can continue to Shadow your later life as an adult here's how your childhood trauma affects your decisions as an adult number one decision making
have you ever wondered why you always seem to make the wrong choice are you still feeling stuck not knowing what to do while everyone else around you is smoothly sailing forward is this just you being bad at choosing what's best for your life in truth the reason might lie within your childhood research shows that those who suffered significant trauma at a young age cannot correctly consider risk as adults experiencing extreme stress during early development has been shown to cause changes in the frontal areas of the brain associated with learning decision making and memory causing interference
with the formation of the connections and networks that support thinking and learning a study with over 50 people around the age of 20 found that those who had experienced extreme stress as kids were hampered in their ability to make good decisions as grown-ups the study involved adults engaging in gambling situations designed to assess their response to risk-taking reward and Punishment the results showed that the people who did not have stressful childhoods tended to pay attention to the clues and gamble wisely those who had suffered severe trauma did not they would for instance choose the shape
they had been warned against and make a mistake repeatedly number two interaction with others in relationships loving is hard but it can be even harder if you've suffered from distressing memories in your childhood if you've experienced trauma during the first years of your life then the odds are you might look at and experience adult relationships in a certain way perhaps you don't feel safe all the time even when you're in a healthy relationship perhaps you hesitate to open your heart to anyone if you're feeling this way or experiencing relationship challenges know that you're not alone
in the United States more than two-thirds of children have experienced some form of trauma according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and there's a myriad of ways that childhood trauma could impact the way you experience adult relationships in early childhood secure attachment develops within loving nurturing and stable relationships in which your emotional and practical needs are met offering a kind of Oasis in times of distress however when your Early Childhood experiences are marked by abuse or neglect your ability to form such attachments is disrupted resulting in attachment injury trust issues and even
mental health conditions early attachment disruption can cause an internal attachment disorder later this mirrors the emotional injuries experienced in early childhood hence the only survival strategy left for you is to alienate from yourself as well as from others recovery begins when you learn to heal your hurt inner self -compassion and acceptance are key to recovery when life stressors evoke the fears and feelings caused by early childhood trauma healing can come when you learn to hold close and nurture the part of yourself that is vulnerable and lacking in trust it's important to remember that your past
doesn't Define who you are yes it's a part of your life but so is your present and your future healing can take a long time but it's possible healing the harms and injuries of our childhood is one of the hardest things we can do but it's necessary for us if you want to get over the past you have to start by acknowledging it one step at a time remember that you're not alone on this arduous Journey several organizations can offer you help and support talk to someone you trust such as a friend counselor or youth
worker if you found this video helpful remember to share with anyone who may benefit from it looking forward to reading any thoughts or suggestions you might have as well in the comments down below thanks for watching see you next time psych2goers [Music]
