Impact of Early Childhood Trauma
Introduction
Trauma is a significant emotional and physical event that causes you to feel terror, helplessness, or horror. A traumatic event can be one-time or ongoing and can happen at any age. When a child experiences trauma in their early years, it can cause lasting emotional and behavioral problems. The impact of trauma on infants and children can be more severe than the same experience later in life because they are just developing their ability to manage emotions, regulate behavior and trust other people.
What is Trauma?
Trauma is defined as “a distressing event or experience, either sudden or slow in onset” that causes a great deal of stress on the body and mind. Traumatic experiences can be emotional, physical, interpersonal, and/or the result of an accident.
In children and adolescents up to age 19 years old (adolescents), traumatic events can lead to changes in mood or behavior including anxiety, depression, and irritability; avoidance of situations that remind them of the trauma; disturbed sleep patterns such as nightmares or trouble falling asleep at night; having aggressive outbursts towards others; difficulty concentrating on schoolwork or other tasks; avoiding friends and family members who knew him before he experienced trauma because they remind him of what happened (this is called re-traumatization). In addition to these symptoms listed above for children and adolescents up to age 19 years old (adolescents), adults may experience similar problems but not necessarily all symptoms listed above for children and adolescents up to age 19 years old (adolescents).
Traumatic experiences can impact anyone regardless of their age at the time it occurred so we encourage all survivors who have suffered from trauma due to any type(s) listed above regardless of whether one day ago from now...
Symptoms of Early Childhood Trauma
Poor sleep and eating habits.
Inability to focus.
Aggression, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
Depression or sadness (storytelling).
Anxiety (nightmares).
Fear of separation from parents, other caregivers, or siblings.
How Does Early Childhood Trauma Develop?
How trauma develops can be complex and hard to understand. It's important to know that any number of causes can lead to trauma in children.
Trauma can develop from many different types of events, including:
a single event (for example, being left at home alone for the first time)
chronic exposure (for example, repeated exposure to violence)
natural disasters (for example, earthquakes or floods) or man-made disasters (such as terrorist attacks)
Why are Some Infants and Children More Resilient to Trauma?
Some children are born with a brain that is more resilient to trauma. For example, they may exhibit higher levels of cortisol in response to stress than other children.
Some children have a caregiver who is more attuned to their needs and sensitive to their cues. In such cases, the caregiver can help them feel safe and secure for them to build up their resilience.
How Can I Help My Child Grow Up to be Resilient?
As a parent, it is important to help your child develop a secure attachment relationship. This means that they feel safe with you and generally trust you when they are upset. The best way to do this is by co-regulating with them during times of distress. What does that mean? It means you are aware of what your child needs from you as well as how they react when distressed, and then provide those things for them in a way that helps them feel better. You can also teach your child how to self-soothe by guiding them through calming techniques such as breathing or squeezing on an item like a teddy bear or blanket until their body relaxes slightly again (this may take some time). By doing these things over time, children will learn how their bodies respond when stressed out and learn how to calm themselves down in times of distress rather than running away from the situation altogether.*
What is Co-Regulation?
Co-regulation is often referred to as "the ability to share and use emotional states with another person." Co-regulating means that you can respond to your child's needs in a way that helps them regulate their emotions and energy.
Co-regulation is different from regulation because it involves two people: the adult, who is regulating their own emotions, and the child, who is also regulating his or her own emotions. This can be helpful for children who don't have enough self-control yet because it allows them to learn from an adult who has more experience with self-control.
Research shows that co-regulation helps children develop better emotional skills later in life (Calkins & Keane 2006). For example, an infant might cry when he wants food but then stop crying once he's fed; this shows he has learned how to regulate his feelings about being fed.
What if my Child is Affected by Trauma?
If your child has experienced early childhood trauma, it is important for them to have a secure attachment relationship with you. This means that they can trust you and feel safe in your presence. It is important that they learn how to self soothe and regulate their emotions, sleep and eating patterns, by connecting with their own inner resources. If they do not have those skills then they may need help from someone else (a therapist) or medication (anxiety medications).
Signs of a Secure Attachment Relationship
A secure attachment relationship is one that allows the child to explore and learn about the world, while still being able to rely on their caregiver for safety and comfort. The caregiver responds promptly, appropriately and consistently to the child's needs and signals. Children who are securely attached benefit from a more positive psychological development throughout life than those who experience insecure attachments.
To best help your child, it is useful to learn how trauma develops and how it affects different children.
If your child has been affected by trauma, it is helpful to understand how trauma develops and how it affects children differently.
In the first year of life, children rely on their caregivers for comfort and safety. If they do not receive this support from their caretakers early on in life, they may experience disruptions in attachment (the relationship between a child and their primary caregiver). This can lead to the development of insecure attachment styles or even disorganized attachment. Children who have secure attachments learn that people are reliable sources of love, comfort, and safety. When secure attachments are disrupted by negative experiences such as neglect or abuse before the age of two years old, these children may develop insecure attachment styles such as anxious or avoidant attachments later on in life. Insecure attachments tend to occur when caregivers are not responsive enough during times where there is distress from the baby (for example: crying). These responses cause babies with less sensitive caregivers not to trust that someone will come through for them when needed most!
Conclusion
If you believe that your child has experienced trauma, it is important to seek professional help. The sooner you can get your child the help they need, the better off they will be.
