*Disclaimer: some of the information and examples presented in this post may be triggering. Only read this post if you feel grounded and safe to learn about trauma and read case examples of generalized trauma experiences/ responses.*
Over 60 percent of Americans experienced at least one adverse experience during childhood. More than 15 percent of that group experienced four or more types of adversity in childhood. These statistics are only accounting for those who have endorsed their traumas. These statistics do not account for all of the individuals who experienced adversities and have kept their experiences private. "For victims of child sex abuse, it is remarkable to disclose abuse at all, regardless of their age. Data from the Department of Justice suggests that 86% of child sexual abuse goes unreported altogether. However, when victims of child sex abuse do report, a high percentage of them delay disclosure well into adulthood (ChildUSA, 2020)." This is in part because the child's brain has a vastly different way of processing trauma. The other reason is because of how society responds to adversity and trauma symptoms or manifestations.
Trauma that occurs in childhood can leave a profound impact on the child's brain, resulting in a semi-fixed state in adulthood, meaning it is more difficult to re-wire the adult brain. However, due to neuroplasticity, re-wiring and healing the brain is possible (in most cases) at any age. Processing trauma in childhood is often times easier to re-wire the brain than waiting until adulthood to process childhood trauma, yet often kids do not have the support to understand what they went through or to heal properly so the wounds are left to amplify during the course of development into adulthood. Healing from trauma takes time and is both necessary and beneficial at any age so thoughts such as "I'm too broken" or "there is no point in going back and healing now" are simply untrue in regards to trauma healing.
Neurological differences in childhood:
When children are born, they require a certain amount of care and have particular needs at various stages of development. These requirements are so that the child's brain and body can develop in a healthy way. When trauma occurs in childhood, it interrupts various developmental milestones, thus affecting the course of that child's life into adulthood. The interruptions may affect functions such as emotional regulation, autobiographical and associative memory, stress response, self-esteem, etc.
If you've read my other blog posts, you know I say this next sentence a lot. Children need to feel loved and feel protected by their caregivers. In other words, they need to feel safe in their environment. When children are not getting these needs met, when tragedy interrupts their perception of safety, or when they are constantly exposed to a toxic environment and stressors, their brains cannot make sense of what is happening. This is because the brain isn't fully developed until we reach the chronological age of 25 (give or take a few years). Children's natural response to adverse events is to personify the experience. No matter what the experience is, they often feel that they had a role in the trauma, or that they could have prevented the trauma. In cases where they do not personify the traumatic event(s), they may respond with extreme measures/manifestations such as establishing rules or needs such as "I always need to be in control." "I need to worry about everything because anything can change in an instant." It is not natural for children to conceptualize trauma in a healthy way because the part of the brain that is in charge of logic and reasoning isn't developed until the final stage of brain development.
Here are some examples of how a child's brain experiences adversity:
A child is born into a home with one parent who is addicted to substances. The child doesn't know or understand addiction and the parent is verbally abusive and eventually abandons the family. The child will most likely think, "I'm not good enough or worthy of love." The child isn't able to understand that his or her parent suffered their own childhood trauma and turned to substances as a means of survival and self-medicating. The child doesn't understand that the parent looks at the substance as a necessity in life and not "choosing" substances over them. The child doesn't understand that the parent is not at a functioning capacity to show love or meet the child's needs.
The child experiences sexual abuse by a family member. The child learns that the people who are "supposed" to be safe and loving can be just the opposite. Therefore the view of safety and the ability to trust is turned off in the brain. This is so that the child can survive. The child now believes that "no one" can be trusted. The child also may feel ashamed that they were not able to protect themselves or do anything to stop the abuse. So instead of the child putting all the blame on the abuser, they may also feel vulnerable in their inability to protect themselves.
There are countless examples I could use to illustrate the adverse event versus the manifestations of the adverse event. Every person is different in how they respond to trauma and every response is valid. The response is simply a result of what the brain decided was necessary for survival. The beliefs that manifested in the above situations were protective factors for moving forward in life. For example, the child that believed he was unworthy of love, was protecting himself from getting close to others. His brain decided that if he already believed he wasn't worthy of love and was to be abandoned in another future relationship, he wouldn't be surprised and it would therefore not hurt in the way it did during the original trauma. This trauma response sets a foundation for toxic patterns throughout life. While they are in part protective measures, it's also clear how they can also hinder an individual's self-worth, self-esteem, relationships, and overall happiness.
Natural resilience definitely helps dictate the impact of trauma on an individual. The other factor in resilience is having a strong and healthy support system post-trauma. Without a strong support system and without natural resilience, trauma healing is often difficult.
An adult's brain:
To say that describing an adult's brain is a difficult task is an understatement. If you were to randomly select 100 adults of the same chronological age and run a scan of their brains, every brain would look different. This is because there are many factors that influence an adult's brain. In regards to trauma, if an adult has not experienced childhood trauma or significant environmental stressors, and they maintained healthy sleeping, eating, and moving habits throughout their life, they would most likely have a healthy brain scan. If a healthy brain underwent trauma in adulthood, it would most likely be able to deal with the trauma in a healthy way. For example, the healthy individual would still experience "trauma" in regards to the psychological wound following the event, however, they would have established healthy resources and be able to heal in a healthy way. They would be able to recognize the wound that is there, develop healthy coping skills, or seek professional support because they understand the impact the event was having on their overall well-being. Their healing process may be relatively short since they have a healthy foundation and the resources to respond effectively.
An adult with a more damaged brain would most likely experience more difficulty healing from a traumatic wound in adulthood. This is because their brain and body may have suffered previous psychological wounds that either resurface after an adult trauma or they may not have the capacity to understand and acknowledge the impact of the event or have the tools and resources in order to heal from the trauma.
Adults often have a fixed mindset that is the result of years of responding to different life circumstances. Adults have automatic views of themselves and the people around them that have been shaped by decades of experience. Therefore, experiencing trauma in adulthood has the power to validate those lifetime-acquired beliefs or completely de-rail one's identity. The most vivid example of this I can think of is in regard to mothers of sexual abuse victims. In the cases where the husbands are the sexual offenders of their children, their entire view of themselves and people change. I think back to the mothers who describe what they view to be "healthy" and loving relationships with their spouses. Initially after finding out about the abuse, they think back to every moment with their husband and deny seeing any red flags. They have a maternal need to protect their child/children and immediately question every decision, perception, action, etc they had leading up to the discovery of abuse. In this sense, that mother's wound of the trauma (hearing about her child's sexual abuse by her husband) is so profound, it rewrites everything she had previously learned or stored in her brain. Her past memories are viewed as a lie, she questions her ability to be a protective parent, worries about ever trusting another person, and is now hypervigilant in every circumstance moving forward.
Healing:
One of the most important protective factors in trauma healing at any age is social support.
Studies show that social support that is provided directly after trauma decreases the level of negative outcomes including later intrusive thoughts and one's subjective perception of the event itself (Pruitt, L. D., & Zoellner, L. A. 2008). Those who may have not received social support directly following the traumatic event(s) will still benefit from social support. Therapy models that include group support or individuals who endorse a healthy support system at the time of trauma healing are shown to have enhanced treatment outcomes (Brown, S., Jun, M. K., Min, M. O., & Tracy, E. M. (2013).
If you are an adult reading this and are acknowledging trauma in childhood, think about how the wound is showing up today. Is the wound present through symptoms such as anxiety and depression or maybe you're experiencing frequent triggers and flashback memories or nightmares of the event(s)? Do you have trouble sleeping or feel a disconnect in relationships? Or do you feel you have a lost sense of identity or a piece of you that feels empty? Whatever your wound looks like, it's there for a reason. Trauma healing is complex and requires a sense of care and understanding of the process and different options. Processing childhood trauma as an adult often requires professional support. You can join support groups (led by a healthcare professional), meet individually with a therapist, talk to your doctor for resources, or do inner child work through self-help tools (as long as you feel safe to do so and as long as symptoms are mild and manageable).
For my clients, trauma healing starts with psychoeducation on the brain and body connection, transitions to establishing healthy self-care practices and coping skills to get the body into an optimal/non-stressed zone, then processing the trauma is the last step. This can be done through different therapeutic modalities. Every client is different and therapists have different approaches to that trauma processing piece. You can research therapists online and call to ask more about their approach to trauma processing.
If you're an adult reading this and do not feel you experienced any adversity in childhood and are going through adversity as an adult, notice the wound it's creating. Having awareness of how the event(s) is tapping into different aspects of your life can help you navigate how to heal. It may mean that you need emotional support from a friend or loved one, or you need to speak to a professional for guidance. However your wound is presenting, it's valid and a natural part of the trauma response.
As always, If you find any of this information triggering or do not feel safe being alone with your thoughts, call a support person or 911 if you feel you are at risk of hurting yourself or others. I’m a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, and I help adults heal from childhood trauma. Follow along for more self-help tools and psychoeducation on the brain and body.
Sources:
Brown, S., Jun, M. K., Min, M. O., & Tracy, E. M. (2013). Impact of Dual Disorders, Trauma, and Social Support on Quality of Life Among Women in Treatment for Substance Dependence. Journal of Dual Diagnosis, 9(1), 61–71. https://doi.org/10.1080/15504263.2012.750147
DELAYED DISCLOSURE A FACTSHEET BASED ON CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH ON CHILD SEX ABUSE. (2020). https://childusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Delayed-Disclosure-Factsheet-2020.pdf
Pruitt, L. D., & Zoellner, L. A. (2008). The impact of social support: An analogue investigation of the aftermath of trauma exposure. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 22(2), 253–262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2007.02.005
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