10 Ways On How To Heal From Childhood Trauma

Updated:August 8, 2025 | Published:January 6, 2025 | ByPamela Li

The ten main approaches to healing childhood trauma focus on mental and emotional recovery. Ways to heal trauma in childhood include therapy, support groups, self-care, boundary setting, creative expression, self-education, coping skills development, self-compassion practice, relationship building, and goal setting.

Children experience trauma through exposure to threatening events like abuse, neglect, domestic violence, natural disasters, or accidents that overwhelm their ability to cope. The main types of childhood trauma include neglect (failure to meet basic needs), physical abuse (intentional harm), sexual abuse (unwanted sexual activity), emotional abuse (psychological harm), witnessed domestic violence (abuse between partners), community violence (local threats), natural disasters, and traumatic loss.

Childhood trauma causes several negative effects, including neurological abnormalities (changes in brain circuits that control stress), physical health issues (like high blood pressure and obesity), mental health problems (such as depression and anxiety), relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, and social isolation.

Parents can help heal their child’s trauma by being emotionally available, listening actively, avoiding invalidation of experiences, identifying triggers (things that remind them of trauma), showing patience, empowering the child, being understanding, and teaching calming techniques.

While recovery from childhood trauma is possible without therapy, evidence-based approaches like Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) are recommended for effective treatment. Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is crucial as their impact depends on the amount of exposure and age at which trauma occurs, with different age periods being particularly vulnerable to specific types of trauma.

Adults with unhealed trauma often show signs like flashbacks (reliving traumatic memories), chronic fatigue, being easily triggered, emotional dysregulation (difficulty controlling emotions), anxiety, regression (returning to childlike behaviors), and social withdrawal. The main challenges in healing childhood trauma include reluctance to seek help due to shame, difficulty facing the trauma, rebuilding trust, managing emotional dysregulation, overcoming shame and guilt, and building resilience.

The 10 ways to heal trauma are listed below.

1. Seek Therapy: Engage in structured interactions with a trained therapist using various approaches like CBT, ACT, or TF-CBT to manage psychological issues and overcome emotional difficulties.
2. Attend Support Groups: Join in-person or online groups led by trained facilitators where people with similar challenges can share experiences and learn coping strategies.
3. Practice Self-Care: Take intentional steps to care for your physical, emotional, and mental health through activities like exercise, adequate sleep, mindfulness, and pursuing hobbies.
4. Establish Boundaries: Set clear limits and expectations for emotional, physical, and psychological interactions to create a sense of safety and control.
5. Use Creative Expression: Utilize writing, visual arts, music, dance, or drama as therapeutic tools to process emotions and reduce trauma symptoms.
6. Educate Yourself: Gain knowledge about trauma’s symptoms, causes, effects, and treatments through books, therapy, online resources, or workshops.
7. Develop Coping Skills: Learn and practice strategies to manage thoughts, feelings, and behaviors through problem-oriented and emotion-focused techniques.
8. Practice Self-Compassion: Be kind and understanding to yourself during difficult times through mindfulness, self-kindness, and recognizing shared human experiences.
9. Build Healthy Relationships: Create supportive and trusting connections with others who provide emotional support and a safe space for expressing feelings without judgment.
10. Set Realistic Goals: Break down larger tasks into smaller, manageable steps while maintaining achievable and specific objectives tailored to your capabilities.

1. Seek Therapy

Therapy includes a range of treatments designed to help manage and overcome psychological issues, emotional difficulties, and mental health disorders. Psychotherapy is a common therapy involving structured interactions between a trained therapist and a client.

Psychotherapy uses various approaches and techniques. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) addresses maladaptive thought patterns and behaviors. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) focuses on aligning behaviors with personal values and accepting thoughts and feelings. Dynamic/interpersonal psychotherapy involves exploring and understanding the underlying emotional and relational patterns that contribute to psychological distress.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is a psychotherapy designed for treating traumatized children and adolescents. TF-CBT addresses post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other related symptoms caused by childhood sexual abuse, domestic violence, complex trauma, commercial sexual exploitation, and living in foster care. TF-CBT improves emotional regulation and reduces maladaptive thinking, guilt, and shame.

Psychotherapy significantly improves mental health outcomes, according to a 2019 study titled “Psychotherapy: A World of Meanings,” conducted by Cosima Locher et al. and published in Frontiers in Psychology. Trauma survivors function more adaptively as psychotherapy transforms the meaning of their symptoms and experiences.

Psychotherapy involves talking with a licensed mental health professional in sessions typically lasting 40 to 45 minutes. The cost of psychotherapy varies widely depending on location, type of approach used, and available resources, but nonprofit organizations, community centers, or universities usually offer free or low-cost therapy options.

2. Attend Support Groups

Support groups offer emotional, social, and informational support to individuals facing similar challenges. Participants meet in person or online to create a safe space and share their experiences. A trained facilitator or healthcare professional often leads the group to discuss stress management strategies, cognitive behavioral techniques, and relaxation exercises.

Support groups are effective in improving psychological well-being and enhancing quality of life. For example, structured group interventions for victims of childhood sexual abuse help with social isolation, tolerance of difficult feelings, and acceptance, according to a 2020 study titled “Peer-led groups for survivors of sexual abuse and assault: a systematic review,” conducted by Judit Konya et al. in the United Kingdom and published in Journal of Mental Health. Support groups provide emotional support, practical advice, and a sense of belonging, leading to better psychological well-being.

Private support groups often provide tailored services, which require a fee. Support groups offered by non-profit organizations and healthcare institutions are frequently free to enhance accessibility.

The first step in joining a support group is deciding between face-to-face or online options. Online groups meet more frequently, offering greater flexibility for participation. The next step is to confirm the group’s meeting location, schedule, and whether a facilitator or moderator is present. Verify whether the facilitator has received training and ensure the group’s goals align with personal values to have a positive treatment experience.

3. Practice Self-Care

Self-care treatment involves taking intentional steps to care for one’s physical, emotional, and mental health. Common self-care practices include engaging in physical activity, getting adequate sleep, practicing mindfulness, spending time with loved ones, and pursuing hobbies.

Self-care treatment effectively addresses childhood trauma. Engaging in activities that promote relaxation and self-awareness encourages stress management and resilience. Solitary self-care activities promote comfort in being alone, helping adults recover from childhood trauma. Mindfulness reduces intrusive thoughts, worries, and rumination in traumatized individuals, including maltreated children, according to a 2019 study titled “Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Self-Compassion and Psychological Health Among Young Adults With a History of Childhood Maltreatment,” conducted by Diane Joss et al. and published in Frontiers in Psychology.

The cost of self-care treatment depends on the methods and resources utilized. Expenses often include initial consultations with therapists, wellness products, fitness programs, and mindfulness classes. Many self-care activities like lifestyle changes and hobbies are low-cost or free.

4. Establish Boundaries

Establishing boundaries involves setting clear limits and expectations for emotional, physical, and psychological interactions. Well-defined boundaries help trauma survivors to create a sense of safety and control.

Boundaries guide individuals in distinguishing acceptable from unacceptable behavior. Establishing boundaries involves verbalizing needs and limits, saying “no” when necessary, and asserting physical or emotional personal space.

Setting boundaries is effective for reclaiming autonomy and enhancing self-worth. Trauma leaves individuals feeling powerless or unsafe, according to a 2017 study titled “Between Childhood Maltreatment and Shame: The Roles of Self-Objectification and Disrupted Body Boundaries,” conducted by Anat Talmon and Karni Ginzburg in Israel and published in Psychology Women of Quarterly. Physical and sexual abuse involves invasion, causing survivors to lose control over their bodies and feel unsafe. Creating well-defined boundaries from others restores a level of protection.

Boundaries promote self-respect and self-care, which are critical for rebuilding trust and healing from past experiences. Setting limits on acceptable behavior from others enables trauma survivors to reclaim personal power, fostering a healthier emotional environment that supports recovery.

Establishing boundaries starts by identifying what is safe and what triggers discomfort. Recognizing situations or actions that cause feelings of violation, unsafety, or discomfort indicates areas where boundaries must be set. The next step involves determining which actions and behaviors are intolerable. Deciding which behaviors are acceptable and not provides clarity in setting limitations. Remaining firm in enforcing the boundaries must be followed.

5. Use Creative Expression

Creative expression therapy (CET) utilizes writing, visual arts, music, dance, and drama to promote mental and emotional well-being. CET is frequently combined with standard treatments. For example, dementia and trauma are managed using CET alongside medication and psychotherapy.

CET addresses mental health problems by providing individuals with a non-verbal, experiential means to express thoughts and emotions. Creative expression addresses trauma symptoms and the emotional and social aspects of recovery, offering a holistic approach to treatment.

The benefits of creative expression therapy include improved emotional regulation, enhanced communication skills, and reduced anxiety symptoms. Children with traumatic experiences showed significant improvements in mood, emotional pain, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms following CET in music form, according to a 2022 study titled “The Creative Art Therapies in Work with Children and Adolescents with Traumatic Experiences,” conducted by Kristina Sesar et al. and published in Central European Journal of Paediatrics.

The cost of CET depends on the duration of the therapy and the type of creative arts used. Fees also vary based on the therapist’s qualifications and the therapy settings.

The therapist determines the most suitable type of CET for the client. Common types of CET in healing childhood trauma include drama therapy, drawing, music therapy, dance/movement therapy, and play therapy. Solution-focused brief art therapy (SFBAT) is a CET approach designed to meet the developmental needs of adolescents.

6. Educate Yourself

Educating oneself to heal from childhood trauma involves gaining knowledge about trauma’s symptoms, causes, effects, and treatments. Books, therapy, online resources, or workshops are some sources of information.

Learning about trauma supports recovery by providing knowledge and tools to understand the process, make informed decisions, and take active steps toward improvement. Gaining insight into challenges, treatment options, and coping strategies empowers individuals to take control of their recovery process.

Symptoms of childhood trauma are often perceived as misbehavior, according to a 2016 study titled “Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Traumatized Children and Families,” conducted by Judith A. Cohen and Anthony P. Mannarino and published in Children and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America. Educating oneself about common trauma responses and trauma reminders builds awareness, enabling children and parents to recognize patterns and address underlying challenges effectively.

Learning about childhood trauma is not a cure but an important step in the healing process. Gaining an understanding leads to greater self-compassion and empowerment to seek appropriate therapeutic support.

Educational resources about childhood trauma are free or come with a cost. Free resources are available through libraries, non-profit organizations, and online platforms. Books, therapy, and specialized workshops often require payment.

7. Develop Coping Skills

Coping skills are strategies used to reduce unpleasant emotions. Coping skills provide tools to manage thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to overcome a stressful situation.

Coping skills work by redirecting negative emotions or thoughts into healthier outlets, allowing individuals to process their feelings constructively. The techniques frequently involve problem-oriented strategies that directly address the source of stress. Emotion-focused strategies focus on regulating emotions and reducing emotional distress.

Effective coping mechanisms help trauma survivors manage stress, regulate emotions, and build resilience. Strategies like seeking help from others, doing breathing exercises, and crying reduce anxiety and improve mood and emotional well-being, according to a 2010 study titled “Multi-type Childhood Abuse, Strategies of Coping, and Psychological Adaptations in Young Adults,” conducted by Kristina Sesar and published in Croatian Medical Journal.

Common problem-oriented coping strategies include addressing the source of the trauma, such as confronting the perpetrator or discussing the event with trusted family members. Emotion-focused coping strategies include mindfulness practices, meditation, and deep breathing exercises.

8. Practice Self-Compassion

Self-compassion involves being kind and understanding to oneself during difficult times. Three components define self-compassion: mindfulness, self-kindness, and a sense of common humanity.

Practicing self-compassion facilitates emotional healing by addressing pain with kindness and reducing self-criticism. Practicing mindfulness and self-kindness regulates negative emotions and promotes healthier coping strategies.

High self-compassion reduces shame and self-criticism, avoidance behaviors, and suppression of negative emotions, aiding in trauma recovery.  Adopting a compassionate perspective highlights the importance of self-care, which improves coping strategies and emotional regulation among trauma survivors, according to a 2020 study titled “Self-compassion, trauma, and posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review,” conducted by Sarah-Jane Winders et al. and published in Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy journal.

Practice self-compassion by acknowledging your pain without judgment. Respond to trauma-related memories with understanding and supportive self-talk to practice self-kindness. Remind yourself that struggles are a shared part of the human experience and use calming strategies like deep breathing during difficult times. For example, instead of saying, “I’m a failure,” during a challenging situation, say “Many people face challenges rooted in their past. I’m not alone in this journey.”

9. Build Healthy Relationships

Building healthy relationships involves creating supportive and trusting connections with others. Healthy relationships provide a safe space for expressing feelings and experiences without judgment, helping provide emotional support and a sense of safety.

Building healthy relationships effectively heals childhood trauma as strong social support networks reduce trauma-related symptoms. Healthy relationships provide functional, emotional, informational, and instrumental support, which promotes resilience, according to a 2015 study titled “How does social support enhance resilience in the trauma-exposed individual?” conducted by Lauren M. Sippel et al. and published in Ecology and Society journal. Emotional support includes feelings of comfort that make trauma survivors feel loved and respected. Instrumental support includes finances for therapies.

Reach out to friends, family, or support groups where you feel safe and understood to build healthy relationships. Practice expressing your thoughts and feelings honestly and encourage others to do the same.

10. Set Realistic Goals

Realistic goals refer to achievable and specific goals tailored to one’s capabilities and circumstances. Setting realistic goals involves breaking down larger, overwhelming tasks into smaller and manageable steps.

Goal-setting provides hope, structure, and direction, making it an important step for healing from childhood trauma. Goals grounded in current abilities encourage a steady pace, which prevents feelings of being overwhelmed. Realistic goals help individuals focus on gradual improvement rather than setbacks.

Reflect on your strengths, weaknesses, and challenges before setting your goals. Be specific with your objectives and make sure to divide larger goals into smaller, actionable steps. Establish a realistic timeframe for achieving each goal while minding that healing takes time. For example, instead of setting a vague goal like “be happier,” a realistic and specific goal is to practice gratitude by writing down three things you are thankful for each day.

Why Do Children Experience Traumas?

Children experience trauma due to exposure to threatening events such as physical or emotional abuse, neglect, domestic violence, natural disasters, or serious accidents. Life-threatening experiences overwhelm a child’s ability to cope, leading to the development of trauma-related symptoms.

Factors that increase the risk of trauma include severity and duration of the traumatic event, previous trauma exposure, and individual differences. More severe and prolonged exposure increases the likelihood of trauma. A history of traumatic experience, bad temperament, poor emotional regulation, and faulty cognitive processing predispose children to have childhood trauma.

Other factors include socio-demographic factors, family dysfunction, and lack of social support. Children who lack responsive caregivers or a supportive network of family and friends struggle more with the effects of life-threatening events, according to a 2018 study titled “The impact and long-term effects of childhood trauma,” conducted by Heather Dye and published in the Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment. Some children have a lower capacity for resilience, making coping with adverse experiences more difficult.

What Are The Different Types Of Childhood Trauma?

Types of childhood trauma include neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and witnessing domestic violence. The different types of childhood trauma are listed below.

• Neglect: Neglect occurs when caregivers do not meet a child’s basic physical, emotional, educational, or medical needs. Examples of neglect include failure to provide food, exposure to environmental hazards, inadequate supervision and affection, permitted drug abuse, and failure to enroll a child in school. Neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment, accounting for about 61% of all confirmed cases of maltreatment, according to a 2022 study titled “Child Abuse: Approach and Management,” conducted by Elizabeth A. Suniega et al. and published in the American Family Physician journal.
• Physical Abuse: Physical abuse is the intentional use of physical force to harm or injure a child. Common forms of physical abuse are striking, burning, kicking, or biting a child.
• Sexual Abuse: Sexual abuse consists of any sexual activity imposed on a child by an older individual, including rape, unwanted touching, or exposure to explicit material. Sex trafficking is an overlooked form of sexual abuse where a child is recruited or transported in exchange for commercial sex acts.
• Emotional Abuse: Psychological maltreatment or emotional abuse occurs when a child is repeatedly controlled, intimidated, isolated, or demeaned. Emotional abuse causes a child to feel unworthy, inadequate, unloved, rejected, or valued only for serving others’ needs. Harmful parental behaviors that cause emotional abuse include spurning, denying emotional responsiveness, verbally assaulting, and neglecting emotional needs.
• Witnessed Domestic Violence: Domestic violence or intimate partner violence is any physical, sexual, emotional, economic, psychological, or technological abuse against one partner. Exposure to domestic violence accounts for 25-36% of reported violence cases in the United States, according to a 2014 study titled “Abuse Characteristics and Individual Differences Related to Disclosing Childhood Sexual, Physical, and Emotional Abuse and Witnessed Domestic Violence,” conducted by Bette L. Bottoms et al. and published in Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
• Community Violence: Community violence refers to any present violence within a child’s proximal environment, such as the vicinity of home or school. Traumatic community violence includes experiencing or witnessing bullying, gang fighting, shootings, and stabbings.
• Natural Disaster: Exposure to earthquakes, hurricanes, drought, landslides, bushfires, and other natural disasters causes trauma to children. Traumatic natural disasters during childhood often result in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a 2018 study titled “Children and natural disasters,” conducted by Atle Dyregrov et al. and published in Journal of Psychotraumatology.
• Traumatic Loss: Traumatic loss refers to a sudden, unexpected, or violent loss that causes significant emotional, psychological, and physical distress. Traumatic loss often results from accidents, natural disasters, violent crimes, or the sudden death of a loved one. O Other forms of traumatic loss include separation from caregivers due to divorce, abandonment, or placement in foster care.

What Are The Negative Effects Of Childhood Trauma?

Negative effects of childhood trauma include neurological abnormalities, physical disruptions, mental health problems, relationship issues, and isolation. The negative effects of childhood trauma are listed below.

• Neurological Abnormalities: Childhood trauma alters the brain circuits and hormonal systems that regulate stress, leading to impaired memory and information processing. Traumatic events cause prolonged exposure to cortisol (stress hormones), causing abnormalities in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responsible for behavioral and cognitive responses to stressful situations. Brain structures that regulate intense emotions deactivate upon trauma, causing children to relive horrific memories, worries, and intrusive thoughts of the event as though remaining under threat.
• Physical Disruptions: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increase the risk of chronic diseases, including hypertension, sugar intolerance, and low or high cholesterol. Children with ACEs have a higher risk of obesity as trauma triggers stress-related overeating, according to a 2018 study titled “The impact and long-term effects of childhood trauma,” conducted by Heather Dye and published in Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment.
• Mental Health Problems: Psychiatric problems such as substance abuse, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, self-harming, and eating disorders are common among survivors of childhood trauma. ACEs often cause developmental problems in children, which are usually severe and persistent.
• Relationship Issues: Survivors of childhood trauma suffer from negative emotions that lead to unstable relationships, abandonment issues, and sensitivity to rejection. Childhood abuse disrupts the development of emotional regulation, self-worth, and trust, leading to difficulties in recognizing or asserting personal boundaries.
• Low Self-Esteem: Childhood abuse produces fear and vulnerability, resulting in lower self-esteem. Maltreatment from primary caregivers causes attachment issues, leading to lower self-worth and impaired self-identity.
• Isolation: ACEs produce guilt, shame, and a sense of unworthiness, which drive trauma survivors to isolate from others. Survivors find comfort from distancing as isolation serves as a protective barrier from past adversities, according to a 2022 study titled “The impact of childhood trauma on children’s wellbeing and adult behavior,” conducted by Cheyenne Downey and Aoife Crummy and published in European Journal of Trauma & Dissociation.

How Can Parents Help Heal Their Child’s Trauma?

Parents can help heal their child’s trauma by being emotionally and physically available, helping identify triggers, parenting with patience and warmth, actively listening, and being understanding. Below are the different ways parents can help heal their child’s trauma.

1. Be Emotionally and Physically Available: Traumatized children often isolate and reject others. Pay attention and provide your presence to offer safety and stability, especially during distress or need. Show emotional availability by displaying empathy and understanding.
2. Listen: Active listening involves paying full attention to the child’s words and nonverbal cues without interrupting or judging. Create an open dialogue to reassure your child’s feelings and experiences matter.
3. Do Not Invalidate: Research has shown that invalidation of trauma experiences predicts symptoms of personality disorders, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Invalidation includes not listening to, believing, supporting, or helping the child or making the child feel blamed and betrayed. The findings were revealed in a 2016 study titled “General invalidation and trauma-specific invalidation as predictors of personality and subclinical psychopathology,” conducted by Phan Y. Hong and David A. Lishner at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and published in Personality and Individual Differences.
4. Identify Triggers: Trauma causes children to react strongly to triggers related to the original experience. Observe your child’s behavior patterns and determine what objects, people, places, or expressions lead to distress to reduce exposure to triggers. For example, limit loud noises in the house if the child fears intense sounds.
5. Parent with Patience and Warmth: Be gentle and patient. Warm parenting gives a sense of security needed to overcome traumatizing events, according to a 2018 study titled “The impact and long-term effects of childhood trauma,” conducted by Heather Dye and published in the Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment. Avoid punitive discipline to avoid reinforcing feelings of fear or rejection.
6. Empower your Child: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) destroy children’s sense of control. Empower your child by providing opportunities for decision-making, whether in choosing lunch or what music to play in the car. Encouraging autonomy counteracts feelings of helplessness associated with trauma.
7. Be Understanding: Children’s trauma responses often seem irrational or exaggerated, such as fear of the dark or clinginess. Some symptoms appear as misbehavior, like outbursts or defiance. Show understanding by validating the child’s actions. Avoid trivializing the child’s responses and acknowledge the pain behind the behavior to ease the emotional burden.
8. Teach Calming Techniques: Trauma disrupts children’s stress responses, making self-soothing difficult. Teach calming techniques like deep breathing or mindfulness to help the child regain composure. Take a few minutes before bedtime to practice breathing or muscle relaxation together.

Is It Possible To Recover From Childhood Trauma Without Therapy?

Yes, it is possible to recover from childhood trauma without therapy. However, childhood trauma should be treated using evidence-based approaches that focus on both the psychological and emotional needs of the victim, such as TF-CBT (Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), CFTSI (Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention), CPP (Child-Parent Psychotherapy), and PCIT (Parent-Child Interaction Therapy).

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends trauma-informed care (TIC), which involves creating a safe, trustworthy, and empowering environment for the child. Effective coping skills and mindfulness-based interventions treat childhood trauma, according to a 2017 study titled “The Role of Mindfulness in Reducing the Adverse Effects of Childhood Stress and Trauma,” conducted by Robin Ortiz and Erica M. Sibinga, published in the Children Journal. Mindfulness practices reduce trauma-related symptoms, enhance coping and mood, and improve quality of life, making the recovery process easier. More information on trauma-informed care is found at https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/trauma-informed-care/

How Effective Is Understanding ACEs In Managing Childhood Trauma?

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) refer to a wide range of events threatening a child’s physical or psychological well-being. The seven categories of ACEs include physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, having a mother who was treated violently, living with a mentally ill person, living with someone abusing alcohol or drugs, and family incarceration. Avoiding ACEs effectively addresses childhood trauma.

The impact of ACEs is dose-dependent, which means the greater the “dose” or exposure to adversities, the more pronounced the psychological symptoms tend to be. For example, the severity and number of ACEs influence the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The impact of ACEs is also related to the age of trauma exposure. Preschool age (4-6) is particularly sensitive to the development of shutdown dissociation. Pre-adolescence (8-9) is especially vulnerable to the effects of emotional neglect. Early adolescence (12-14) is susceptible to the development of shutdown dissociation due to emotional neglect and sexual abuse. These findings were revealed in a 2016 study titled “Type and timing of adverse childhood experiences differentially affect severity of PTSD, dissociative and depressive symptoms in adult inpatients,” by Inga Schalinski et al. , published in BMC Psychiatry.

What Are The Signs Of Unhealed Trauma In Adults?

The signs of unhealed trauma in adults include various physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms. Signs of adults struggling with unhealed trauma are listed below.

• Flashbacks: Experiencing flashbacks of childhood trauma is mentally taxing, leading to chronic fatigue.
• Chronic Fatigue: Exhaustion from post-traumatic symptoms sometimes impairs functioning, leading to issues such as absenteeism in work.
• Easily Triggered: Childhood trauma imprints associations that later get triggered by unrelated cues, resulting in strong, unexplained reactions to specific people or places. For example, encountering someone with a similar tone of voice to an abusive caregiver evokes feelings of anxiety.
• Emotional Dysregulation: Childhood trauma disrupts the development of emotional regulation and attachment formation with caregivers, leading to emotional instability, anxiety, maladaptive coping, and relationship issues during adulthood.
• Anxiety: Common behavioral symptoms of unhealed trauma include regression and lack of ease in certain places.
• Regression: Regression is a defense mechanism where a person returns to an earlier stage of development to cope with stress or anxiety. Trauma survivors often return to an age before the traumatic event for relief, causing childish behaviors like sucking or baby talking, according to a 2015 study titled “Regression: Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Management,” conducted by Hermioni N. Lokko and Theodore A. Stern and published in The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders.
• Social Withdrawal: Avoidance of certain places emerges as the brain associates environments resembling the setting of the traumatic event with danger. For example, a person who was abducted during childhood avoids isolated areas or secluded paths to relieve flashbacks.

Can Parents With Childhood Trauma Parent Effectively?

Yes, parents with childhood trauma can parent effectively. A person’s childhood experiences do not define their ability to be a good parent, but how they make sense of the experiences does. Parents who understand and make meaning from their experiences do not carry unresolved issues that affect their parenting. Some parents heal through parenting.

What Are The Challenges In Healing Childhood Trauma?

Challenges in healing childhood trauma include addressing reluctance to seek help, facing the trauma, rebuilding trust, addressing emotional dysregulation, and overcoming shame and guilt. Challenges in healing childhood trauma are listed below.

• Reluctance to Seek Help: Shame, self-blame, and anticipated stigma cause reluctance to seek help, according to a 2021 study titled “Stigma as a Barrier to Addressing Childhood Trauma in Conversation with Trauma Survivors: A Study in the General Population,” conducted by Georg Schomerus et al. in Germany and published in Plos One. Reluctance to address childhood trauma is especially pronounced toward persons with interpersonal childhood trauma such as sexual and physical abuse.
  Take small steps by talking to trusted friends. Reach out to those who give you support and understanding. Participating in support groups is another helpful step. Hearing others share their journeys normalizes feelings of vulnerability and makes treatments feel less intimidating.
• Facing the Trauma: Facing the trauma involves recognizing and understanding the events or experiences that caused distress during childhood. Many individuals bury childhood trauma in the subconscious to avoid pain, leading to difficulty acknowledging the events’ impact. Fear and shame further hinder the identification process. 
  Trauma-informed therapies like trauma-focused cognitive-behavior therapy (TF-CBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and narrative exposure therapy help trauma survivors overcome suppressed memories. Therapies help uncover trauma through gradual exposure to the most intense and painful experiences, according to a 2018 study titled “Memory and Forgetting,” conducted by Chris R. Brewin and published in Current Psychiatry Reports. Maintaining a supportive environment that encourages openness and self-reflection helps face traumatic events.
• Rebuilding Trust: Childhood trauma causes feelings of betrayal, particularly when the source of harm is trusted individuals. Trust issues lead to relationship issues and a perception that others’ actions are threats.
  Psychotherapy and other psychological interventions help children learn about assertiveness, cooperation, perspective-taking, boundaries and limit setting, reciprocity, social empathy, and the capacity for physical and emotional intimacy, which help rebuild trust. Take small steps independently. Build trust gradually through consistent and safe interactions, and practice setting healthy boundaries to feel secure in relationships.
• Addressing Emotional Dysregulation: Emotional dysregulation refers to difficulty managing intense emotions, often a result of childhood trauma. Unprocessed trauma creates heightened emotional responses, while triggers evoke overwhelming emotions that are hard to control or understand. Dysregulated emotional control often leads to physical sensations.
  Psychotherapies teach trauma survivors to self-regulate. Learn to recognize, label, and express intense emotions to improve impulse control by seeking help from trusted people and experts. Consult healthcare professionals for medication needed for physical sensations.
• Overcoming Shame and Guilt: Childhood trauma often causes shame and guilt, leading to self-blame for past experiences. Shame and guilt become deeply ingrained, which affects self-esteem and relationships.
  Releasing shame requires significant emotional work. Focus on self-compassion exercises to foster forgiveness. For example, replace self-criticism with understanding and kindness and emphasize that trauma was not your fault. Share experiences in support groups to recognize shared struggles. Hearing others’ experiences emphasizes that you are not alone in the journey.
• Building Resilience: Resilience is the ability to adapt and recover despite adversities. Trauma impairs coping skills, causing difficulties in overcoming adversities.
  Building resilience requires proper self-regulation. Recognizing, expressing, and healthily regulating feelings enables appropriate responses during challenges. Creating a network of supportive relationships provides emotional safety, validation, and encouragement, helping build resilience.