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

UNDERSTANDING the manifestations of trauma is essential. Often, trauma hides in plain sight, disguised as busyness, perfectionism, or emotional numbness.

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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.