The truth is that most people experience trauma, whether minor or massive, infrequent or repetitive. In general, a traumatic event causes severe emotional distress. Trauma often overwhelms the individual’s capacity to cope or process what occurred. Responses may include fear, helplessness, confusion, numbness, rage, shame, or depression.
When trauma occurs during childhood, it can be particularly challenging to overcome. The impact is usually lasting, heartbreakingly so. Some people understand that trauma residue or aftereffects is what they are experiencing, while many others haven’t yet connected the dots. And still others have what is called dissociative amnesia, where they have forgotten or blocked out what happened. Memory loss related to trauma is more common than you might think. It is a defence mechanism or coping tool of the mind, body, and spirit.
There are several possible signs of repressed childhood trauma. Read on to learn about them and how you can begin the healing process, either for yourself or someone you care about.
You’re probably wondering what exactly repressed childhood trauma is and how to identify it. We will cover the signs and how it can affect people in adulthood, then how to find the right solutions for recovery. While trauma’s influence may never fully go away, it can be significantly lessened and managed through support and tools.
As mentioned above, many people do repress childhood trauma. Another way to say this is that it goes hidden or latent from a consciousness or awareness perspective. When something is repressed, it is not overt or obvious. That doesn’t mean it is not operating beneath the surface, affecting behaviors or emotions.
When trauma occurs, especially in childhood, the person’s ability to process it may be very limited. Even for adults, some traumas such as abuse, loss, neglect, or catastrophe are too overwhelming to face. A child or adolescent’s brain is not fully developed yet, which adds an extra element of vulnerability and fragility. Not to mention, a child has not yet experienced relationships (other than family or caretakers) or learned about life, culture, boundaries, or norms. Their brain may not be able to “file away” or correctly store what happened, which is what allows us as humans to move forward and function emotionally and psychologically. Therefore, the traumatizing experience does not go away but is repressed out of necessity.
One way to describe childhood trauma is “adverse childhood experiences” or ACEs. ACEs are traumatic events that occur before the age of 17. Research suggests that they can have a long term impact on both mental health and physical health. These impacts may be heightened when the trauma is repressed or particularly intense.
The signs of repressed childhood trauma in adults can be subtle or obvious. Here are some of the most common ones. At the same time, don’t jump to conclusions if you’re not sure. These signs can occur without repressed childhood trauma as well, and for unrelated reasons.
If you struggle to trust people or your first instinct is not to, it may be related to repressed childhood trauma. Understandably, your boundaries have been violated or ignored. You instinctively know that this could happen again. Even when there are no red flags or someone has earned your trust, it may still feel hard to trust.
Because repressed childhood trauma usually has not been dealt with, the associated emotions still exist (they are repressed or hidden). In order to manage them, substance, drug, or alcohol abuse, or other addictions, are not uncommon. These habits are almost always related to or exacerbated by some sort of trauma or unhealthy coping.
In the same way that repressed childhood trauma can bring on emotional symptoms, it can also trigger physical symptoms. Always seek help from a medical provider first, but keep in mind that everything may be connected. One way to look at it is that repressed pain or emotions are energy, and that energy must go somewhere. Chronic pain of various kinds (such as headaches or fibromyalgia) can be the way that energy is manifested. It’s not fair or pleasant, but it’s your psyche knocking at your door saying: “something isn’t quite right” or “look at this.”
Perhaps the most classic or stereotypical aftereffect of trauma is anxiety or depression. Again, the latent emotion is repressed, not gone. Anxiety can appear as panic attacks, social phobia, irritability, or road rage. Depression is usually extreme (or mild) sadness, low mood, lethargy, fatigue, or lack of motivation.
There are a plethora of ways to begin to recover a sense of wholeness after a traumatic event. Whether you have repeatedly relived traumatic memories or don’t remember much of what happened to you, these methods will help. And for more detail on how to deal with trauma triggers, read this blog here.
It can take some trial and error to find the right fit for your needs and situation, but the effort is always worth it. YOU are worth it. Part of the wreckage that trauma tends to leave in its wake is a lack of self-worth, hope, or personal agency. Healing from repressed childhood trauma is possible, and you owe it to yourself to give it a try.
CBT helps you start to notice and replace your negative or fear-based thoughts and perceptions. One devastating side effect of trauma can be the way it warps your ability to expect good things or assign positive intent to other people’s actions.
EMDR is a trauma healing modality often used for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It involves bilateral stimulation while sharing with a therapist about traumatic memories. The most common type of bilateral stimulation is side-to-side eye movements. It is thought to help the brain process the trauma so it doesn’t affect you as strongly anymore. If you resonate with the idea of somatic healing, read this blog about releasing trauma from the body.
Just sharing honestly with a trauma informed professional can be profound. It almost always eases the emotional burden when it’s a safe space. And the therapist can properly guide you through any overwhelming feelings or memories. If you have a trusted person in your life you feel comfortable with, you can lean on your own support system too.
Good old self-care and a healthy lifestyle can also take you far. Traumatized people may be less likely to treat themselves with the care they deserve. Take a look at your daily and weekly habits and take inventory. Some practices that should help include balanced nutrition, exercise, breathwork, and fun or laughter.
Physical activity, especially rigorous, is very powerful for trauma release. Run it out, lift weights, do yoga, jump on a trampoline, whatever appeals to you. Even walking, especially in nature, is wonderful, and brings minimal wear and tear on the body. Deep breathing can help the body and mind calm down by engaging the parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for “rest and digest”). Finally, try to have some fun! Go on a trip, watch a funny movie, laugh with friends.
You can heal from repressed childhood trauma. It is indeed possible! It may feel insurmountable at times, but the fact that you’re reading this blog shows your dedication. Because you are open to learning how to support yourself and feel better, you are well on your way. Feel free to reach out with questions at erin@centeredone.com.
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