Trauma can have a long-lasting impact on people’s lives, even if that trauma occurred a long time ago. Over 60% of adults report experiencing at least one adverse childhood experience in their lifetime. These experiences can cause trauma and potentially lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other negative symptoms in adulthood. 

Adults who experience childhood trauma may have a higher likelihood of mental health disorders and other physical health conditions. Childhood trauma can cover a lot of different experiences, including:

• Bullying
• Childhood sexual, emotional or physical abuse
• Community or school violence
• Loss of a loved one
• Natural disasters
• Neglect
• Serious illness or accident
• Witnessing domestic violence

Even if the trauma a person has experienced occurred a long time ago, it can still impact their life today. In this blog post, we’ll share some common symptoms of childhood trauma that can manifest in adulthood and how you can move toward healing. 

Symptoms of childhood trauma in adulthood

Symptoms of childhood trauma may not always show up clearly in adulthood. However, if you experienced trauma as a child, there’s a high chance it could impact your life as an adult in some way. Here are some of the common ways symptoms of childhood trauma can manifest in adulthood: 

• Post-traumatic stress disorder — Some people associate PTSD with something soldiers experience. However, PTSD can occur after any kind of unresolved trauma. It doesn’t develop in everyone who experiences trauma, but it can occur with childhood trauma. This can show up in a number of ways, including:
• Anger
• Anxiety 
• Avoidance
• Depression
• Issues with trust
• Reliving the event through flashbacks or nightmares
• Self-destructive or risky behaviors
• Withdrawal

If an adult has many of these symptoms without any apparent cause, they may be dealing with unresolved PTSD. If the trauma a person experienced occurred over a long period of time, they may even have complex PTSD. This could be from an earlier event in adulthood or from childhood. 

• Attachment and relationship issues — If a person has experienced childhood trauma that carries over into adulthood, they may have issues forming healthy relationships. People who have experienced abuse from a parent or other person of authority may experience trust issues in their adult relationships. They may also end up in consistently unhealthy relationships, since more than half of people who are abused as children also experience domestic abuse in adulthood. 
• Poor emotional regulation and responses — Childhood trauma may cause problems later in life with regulating your emotions. Studies have shown that people who experience childhood trauma may struggle more with emotional regulation. This can manifest in several different symptoms, such as:
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Trouble expressing emotions
• Uncontrollable anger
• Withdrawal

These are just a few of the ways that adults may struggle with emotional regulation due to childhood trauma. It can manifest with other emotions or responses as well.

• Physical illnesses — Childhood trauma can affect more than just mental and emotional well-being. Evidence suggests that childhood trauma can also contribute to a higher likelihood of chronic illnesses. These chronic issues may include:
• Asthma
• Autoimmune diseases
• Coronary artery disease
• Diabetes
• Stroke

While it’s difficult to establish a direct connection between childhood trauma and chronic illness, stress can be a significant contributing factor to later illnesses.

There are many symptoms that childhood trauma can cause in adulthood. This is not a fully comprehensive list, but it can be a good marker to show the kinds of things that childhood trauma can impact.

How to address childhood trauma in adulthood

If you’ve noticed that your life as an adult is negatively impacted in some way by the trauma you encountered as a child, dealing with that trauma can help you move past those symptoms. However, you have to be willing to seek out help to resolve those traumatic memories. 

• Seek therapy — Therapy is an excellent way to address the trauma you experienced in childhood. It gives you a safe space to open up about those traumatic memories, and your therapist can also provide coping skills to help you deal with your trauma in a positive way.
• Practice self-care — Self-care habits such as exercise, meditation, mindfulness and journaling can help you relax and de-stress, which may be difficult to do if you’re dealing with symptoms from childhood trauma
• Develop a support system — A solid support system is a great way to receive emotional support and understanding from people who truly care about you. You can also join a support group or group therapy to be surrounded by people who have similar experiences as you and can understand what you’re going through.
• Consider medication — While there isn’t any medication specifically for PTSD, some people who experience anxiety or depression due to their PTSD can benefit from medication. Talk to your health care provider if you think medication may help you manage symptoms of anxiety or depression due to your PTSD.

Childhood trauma can affect you in adulthood, but it doesn’t have to control your life. At Lightfully Behavioral Health, we’re here to walk alongside you as you deal with that trauma and move forward in a positive way. 

If you’re ready to take the next step toward healing your childhood trauma, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.