It's a humbling thought, but much about who we are as adults can be traced back to things that happened to us before our 12th birthday. Part of learning to be an adulthood means making sense of the events of our childhood. We need to spot how our past might be trying to interfere with our chances in the present. Carl Jung, the father of modern psychology, cogently said, “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
Childhood trauma isn’t something you just get over as you grow up. the repeated stress of abuse, neglect and parents struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues has real, tangible effects on the development of the brain. This unfolds across a lifetime, to the point where those who’ve experienced high levels of trauma are at triple the risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, chronic pain, and other ailments (https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/acestudy/index.html).
That said, therapy, the support of loved ones, and a healthy lifestyle are key to mitigating the legacy of difficult childhood experiences. See my earlier blog/post "Trauma and You" for more information on ways to overcome trauma.
Comments