HOW CHILDHOOD TRAUMA AFFECTS ADULT WELL-BEING: UNDERSTANDING THE LINGERING IMPACT

MANY believe time heals all wounds, but for a lot of people, childhood pain does not just disappear as they grow older.

- VUYILE MADWANTSI

It often stays with them, affecting how they form relationships, handle stress and trust others. On World Mental Health Day, which was celebrated recently, it is important to remember that invisible scars can have a lasting impact.

“People assume we outgrow trauma,’ says Thomas O'Connor, the director of the Wynne Center for Family Research at the University of Rochester Medical Centre.

“But when trauma happens early in life, it can alter both brain and body with lifelong effects.”

What exactly is childhood trauma?

Childhood trauma is not limited to physical or sexual abuse. It can also involve emotional neglect, losing a parent, being exposed to violence, or seeing something frightening.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that at least one in seven children faces abuse or neglect each year, and over two-thirds will experience at least one traumatic event by age 16.

These experiences disrupt a child’s sense of safety and stability, changing how their brains and nervous systems develop. “Your fight-or-flight response can get stuck in overdrive,’ explains Kristen Holderle, the clinic director at UR Medicine's HEAL Collaborative.

“That can affect everything from how you manage relationships to how your immune system functions”

Trauma vs PTSD: What’s the difference?

Not all traumatic events cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, if trauma is not addressed, it can lead to symptoms such as flashbacks, being constantly on alert, nightmares, or feeling emotionally numb.

PTSD is diagnosed when these symptoms interfere with daily life.“It’s completely normal to have big emotions after a stressful event,” says Holderle.