How To Heal From Childhood Trauma

Traumatic events don’t always leave physical scars. But they often leave emotional and psychological ones. And when those events happen in your childhood, their imprint can affect your mental and physical health for years to come, even into adulthood.

When something very scary or harmful happens to you as a child, it can make you feel upset or afraid for a long time. This includes things like getting hurt, seeing someone else get hurt, or living through a stressful or frightening experience.

Psychologist Kate Eshleman, PsyD, says that often, you can move on from traumatic events and thrive. But you may need a helping hand. 

Dr. Eshleman explains how to identify childhood trauma and how to begin the healing process, no matter what stage you’re at.

Effects of childhood trauma

Childhood trauma can affect everything from our mental to physical health. Because of this, it can be hard to pinpoint when an issue you’re experiencing is due to a traumatic event from your childhood.

There are several different types of childhood trauma that you can experience, including:

• Physical abuse
• Emotional abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Neglect
• National disasters or accidents
• Community or school violence

Here are a couple of ways that childhood trauma can manifest:

Physical responses

Sometimes, our body holds onto trauma more than our mind. “The body responds to emotional stress in much the same way it responds to physical stress,” Dr. Eshleman notes.

There are two main ways that trauma can cause those lingering effects:

• Elevated proteins. After physical head injuries, like concussions, levels of a protein called S100B can spike in your brain. Researchers found similarly high levels of this protein in children who experienced emotional trauma. S100B is associated with potentially damaging inflammation in the brain.
• High levels of stress hormones. Stress affects your body from head to toe. When something scary happens, stress hormones set your heart racing and make you break into a cold sweat. But if those hormones stay elevated for a long time, they can cause inflammation in your body and lead to lasting health problems. “The stress response can wear on our bodies,” Dr. Eshleman states.

Changes in behavior

Changes in behaviors are also a common sign of childhood trauma. You often see these changes right after the traumatic event occurs.

Typical behavior changes include:

• Eating more or less than usual
• Sleep changes, including having trouble sleeping or needing more sleep than usual
• Regression (such as a potty-trained preschooler having accidents again, or a toddler who slept through the night now waking frequently)
• Irritability and grumpiness
• Clinginess and separation anxiety, especially in younger kids
• Reactive attachment disorder, where you have trouble forming connections with your caretakers

Conditions and disorders caused by childhood trauma

Past traumas can stay with you for years to come. “Sometimes, significant stress or trauma can lead to mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression,” shares Dr. Eshleman. And other medical problems related to your heart and weight can also arise.

These conditions can start to sneak up in childhood or later in adulthood. Children who experience traumatic events have a greater chance of developing health conditions, including:

• Anxiety
• Cancer
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Heart problems
• Obesity
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Stroke
• Substance use disorders

How to heal from childhood trauma

It’s never too late (or too early) to begin the healing process for childhood trauma. Whether it’s right after the event or five or 10 or 20 years later, there are steps you can take to begin to heal.

Seek therapy

Psychotherapy (talk therapy) can give you the tools and support you need to process your traumatic experiences. Often, trauma from childhood can be hard to face or even define. Different types of therapy can help you develop healthy coping mechanisms and feel more fulfilled in your everyday life. 

Plus, therapy’s collaborative nature means the healing process is customized for you. Here are some of the types of therapy that are used to treat childhood trauma:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps in identifying and changing negative thought patterns.
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) combines CBT with mindfulness techniques.
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is specifically designed to treat trauma by processing distressing memories.
• Group therapy can create a supportive environment through shared experiences within a group. This can be particularly helpful for childhood trauma, which can make us feel alone.

How to know if you should seek therapy 

Does this mean therapy is a must for treating childhood trauma? Not always. But it’s highly recommended, especially if you’re experiencing things like:

• Behavioral changes
• Physical symptoms like stomachaches, sleep disturbances or headaches
• Losing interest in things you once enjoyed
• Feelings of anxiety or depression

Practicing self-compassion and self-care

Practicing self-compassion is a big part of the childhood healing process. But it can also take the longest.

Some specific self-care practices to try include:

• Healthy lifestyle choices. Aim for regular exercise, eating a balanced die and getting sufficient sleep.
• Creative expression. Art, music, writing and other forms of creativity are great emotional outlets.
• Journaling. Writing about thoughts and feelings helps process emotions and experiences.
• Mindfulness and meditation. These practices teach you to stay present and help reduce stress. For example, body scan meditation can help you focus on your body’s sensations to promote relaxation.
• Breathing exercises. Breathwork can help manage anxiety and stress.
• Positive affirmations. Use positive self-talk to build self-esteem and counter negative thoughts.

Set boundaries

A lot of times, triggers from our childhood can come up in our everyday lives. This could be a person, a situation or even a place that brings you back to the traumatic event.

Setting boundaries establishes a sense of safety, control and self-respect. If you or a loved one have experienced trauma, especially in environments where boundaries were violated or non-existent, learning to set and maintain boundaries can be empowering.

This can also help survivors of trauma define what’s acceptable and unacceptable in their relationships and interactions, which, in turn, protects you from further harm and reduces anxiety.

Can you prevent childhood trauma?

Many children who experience an adverse event don’t have long-lasting effects. But some factors increase the chance of later problems, Dr. Eshleman says, such as:

• Age. Trauma can leave a stamp at any age. But children who experience an adverse event before the age of 8 may be particularly vulnerable.
• Level of trauma. Not everyone experiences trauma the same way. Some kids can bounce back from major stressors, while others are more affected by things that, on the surface, seem less severe. Overall, the more extreme the trauma, the higher the risk for lasting difficulty.
• Duration of trauma. Chronic or repeated exposure to adverse events increases the risk of lasting health problems. Children who witness repeated violence in an unsafe neighborhood, or those who are abused, are more likely to have long-term problems than a child who experiences a one-time event, such as a car crash.

The good news is that help is available at any age. “It’s never too late to work with a mental health professional,” Dr. Eshleman reinforces.

The bottom line

Healing from childhood trauma is a journey that, while challenging, can be transformative and empowering. With the right support and resources, you can reclaim your life, rediscover your inner strength, heal your inner child, and build a future filled with hope and possibility.

By seeking out therapy, building healthy relationships and practicing self-compassion, you can find ways to process the effects of childhood trauma while embracing your present moment.