The social relationships and bonds we develop with family, friends, colleagues and partners allow us to experience multiple experiences that provide us with teachings and lessons. In this sense, the experiences of the first stages of life are significant. In many circumstances, thousands of families observe attitudes and behaviors in their children that call their attention and, in this regard, it is key to know what are the signs that explain that one has suffered a childhood trauma. The childhood stage should be accompanied by a healthy, respectful, kind, empathetic, affectionate and free upbringing for a healthy physical and emotional development.
There may be traumatic, distressing or difficult situations in the first stage of life, as stated by the Espirales childhood consulting space, which states that children and adolescents without parental care or at risk of losing it have suffered many adverse situations before being cared for. In this sense, they warn with emphasis that by the time they arrive in care they have already lived through many difficult experiences. For this reason, they point out that they arrive with deep wounds in their souls. It is necessary that the professional figures (those who provide direct care, those who offer technical support, those who manage organizational structures) have a clear understanding of what trauma is, how to detect it and how to intervene. In this regard, if you are able to identify the signs that explain that you had childhood trauma, your psychological process can develop with better tools for managing and dealing with emotions and conflicts.
What is childhood trauma?
According to the European Institute of Education, a child trauma is a situation that generates pain and distress to a child. “These situations have negative consequences on the physical and psychological state of the victim and the effects can last for years, even into adulthood,” the professionals warn.
One of the aspects highlighted by the members of the institute is that many of the people who come to therapy in their adult life often experience the consequences of childhood traumas.
The team at the European Institute of Education advises that therapeutic care for children is essential to detect psychological disorders in adulthood. It is important not to overlook them, as they can lead to a series of problems or disorders that have repercussions on relationships with others. In turn, they add that the environment in which the child lives is one of the factors that influence the development of trauma.
What are the most common causes and how do traumas manifest themselves?
Traumas present a relationship and context with the types of situations and lived experiences of each person. Therefore, the most common causes of childhood trauma are the following: witnessing accidents; being a victim of bullying or cyberbullying; growing up in problematic contexts and witnessing situations of violence, drugs, abuse; experiencing the death of a loved one.
Another of the most common causes that can determine the signs that explain that you had childhood trauma, are the following: being a victim of emotional and physical abuse; divorce of parents; being a victim of sexual abuse; developing in environments of risk and social exclusion; suffering some serious or sudden medical condition; witnessing situations of war and terrorism in their environment.
If we stop at the forms of manifestation of childhood traumas, the symptoms that appear most frequently are: sleeping too much or too little; eating too little or too much; unexplained irritable mood or anger; difficulty concentrating; obsessive or generalized worrying; and anxiety due to separation from parents.
What signs explain that you had a childhood trauma?
The Vitae Psychology Center develops a series of the most common childhood traumas and their characteristics to know in greater detail how to intervene. One of them is known as fear of rejection trauma. For professionals, fear of rejection is a common form of childhood trauma.
Another common symptom is known as betrayal trauma. “Betrayal occurs when a child feels that he or she has been cheated or abandoned by someone he or she trusted,” they report from the site.
“Fear of abandonment is another common childhood trauma. This occurs when a child feels that he or she has been physically and/or emotionally abandoned by his or her caregivers,” they state from the Vitae Psychology Center.
In this sense, they clarify that this trauma can lead to attachment problems and interpersonal relationships based on insecurity and fear in the future, both in social relationships and in couple relationships.
Another sign that explains that you had childhood trauma is humiliation. It is a trauma that occurs when a child is repeatedly ridiculed or shamed. This type can lead to problems similar to those described in the fear of rejection.
In summary, it is important that you know the signs of childhood trauma in order to address them responsibly, respectfully and efficiently.
