Society places extra emphasis on a good childhood, and for very good reasons. What you experience in your first few years impacts you for the rest of your life, forming how you perceive the world and others around you. If you’ve experienced traumatic events as a child, you may be surprised to find the effects still manifesting themselves several decades later, when you’re well into adulthood.
The truth is that childhood trauma, when unresolved, can wreak havoc on your adult life. It can affect how you choose happiness, approach relationships, or pursue your ambition. It can be challenging to start healing, especially when you don’t know where to begin.
What is Unresolved Trauma?
Unresolved psychological trauma manifests as a disruptive emotional response to a tragic or otherwise horrible event or experience. It can present as a wide array of mental and physical symptoms, such as anxiety attacks, feelings of shame, flashbacks, dissociation, sleep issues, addiction, chronic depression, uncontrollable anger, and irrational fears. Even though you may have subconsciously pushed away the memories of the terrible event, they’re still present in your life through your symptoms, lack of self-esteem, and relationship struggles.
Traumatized children often feel like they must resolve their issues by themselves. Still, the reality is that they usually do not have even half the tools needed to heal from their experiences. That’s why it’s best to work with a mental health therapist who knows how to unpack their perceptions and correct the faulty ones. Otherwise, childhood trauma stays unresolved, which will resurface as emotional upheaval that can upend adult lives.
What Creates Trauma in Childhood?
Until resolved, trauma passes on from one person to the other. Traumatized adults unintentionally and sometimes subconsciously traumatize children, who then repeat the cycle. The trauma sometimes has apparent causes, like physical or sexual abuse, but many adults don’t realize they have more subtle kinds of trauma.
For instance, if they were neglected as a child or lost their parent, the experiences likely impacted them for the worse. Going through a severe childhood illness, working with a disability, having too many siblings, or emotionally unavailable or anxious parents contribute to traumatized experiences.
How Does Unresolved Trauma Affect You as an Adult?
Unresolved trauma is guaranteed to emerge and impact your adult life at some point. If you’ve forced yourself to “leave the past in the past,” you’ll be more likely to carry the suffering you experienced as a child. If you haven’t had enough help or the proper counseling services to heal from your trauma, the symptoms will start to manifest when you feel emotionally distressed. Sometimes, the trigger can be innocuous and straightforward, but it is enough to remind you of what happened in your childhood, causing you to spiral.
The great news is that childhood trauma can be healed by seeking help from trained, certified therapists. You’ll need to work with a mental health professional who is well-versed in the effects of childhood experiences on adult life, especially terrible and traumatic ones. You’ll have to build trust in a safe therapeutic space to feel assured enough to unveil your emotions and work at your own pace, never feeling like you must rush through your healing. By working with someone with a kind, empathetic response, you’ll feel safe and seen, giving you the courage you need to work through your trauma.
Conclusion
Childhood trauma can affect every aspect of your life when left unaddressed. Fortunately, when treated, it can vastly improve your life. By breaking the cycle, understanding your psychological triggers, and working with a therapist to understand your unresolved trauma, you can begin an incredible healing journey that will help you navigate your adult life more confidently.
Hope Seed Support Center has the best therapists in Houston to help you address your unresolved trauma and other mental health issues. We provide service to the community through counseling, nutritional therapy, and many more. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
