Childhood Trauma: Lifelong Implications (but Not a Lifetime Sentence)
It’s been well-established and widely accepted by most people that exposure to pesticides, packaging chemicals, lead, asbestos and the like pose serious health risks.
Childhood trauma is a lesser recognized but equally dangerous threat — to both mental and physical health. But because most medical professionals aren’t trained in routine screening for it, the lasting effects of childhood trauma are often undetected or overlooked.
Significant exposure to childhood trauma can affect brain development, the immune system, hormonal changes, and even the makeup of DNA. In higher doses, it can triple a person’s lifetime risk of heart disease and lung cancer and decrease life expectancy by 20 years.
It’s time to recognize the lasting implications of childhood trauma, do away with “victim-shaming,” and provide support to those who’ve experienced trauma in their lives.
If you experienced or witnessed trauma during your formative years, please know that despite these serious, potential long-term implications, trauma doesn’t have to be a lifetime sentence.
Understanding Childhood Trauma and Adversity
In recent years, the word “trauma” has snuck its way into ordinary language. Perhaps you’ve heard a coworker talk about being “traumatized” by having their idea rejected in a strategy session. Or a friend referring to having “PTSD” from a vacation gone awry.
For children, failing a test, not being invited to a party or losing a basketball game can be disappointing, deflating, discouraging, or, as some parents might say, “traumatizing.”
But none of these is an inherently traumatic event by itself.
Related: Little t Trauma: The Cumulative Effect of Everyday Stress
Through a psychotherapeutic lens, trauma is a result of experiencing or witnessing either a single event or chronic exposure to threats that are so severe or pervasive that they literally alter a person’s physiology.
Examples include (but aren’t limited to) childhood abuse or neglect; growing up with a parent who struggles with mental illness or substance dependence; school shootings; car accidents; home invasions; fires or natural disasters; or any other situation that poses a threat to their sense of safety or security.
The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, conducted by Dr. Vince Felitti at Kaiser Permanente and Dr. Bob Anda at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was based on the responses of 17,500 adults who were asked about their history of exposure to what they called "adverse childhood experiences," or ACEs. Accumulation of ACEs can be referred to as childhood trauma.
The experiences specifically mentioned in the study include physical, emotional, or sexual abuse; physical or emotional neglect; parental mental illness, substance dependence, incarceration; parental separation or divorce; or domestic violence.
Every “yes” equaled one point on the individual’s ACE score.
Felitti and Anda then correlated these ACE scores against health outcomes. Their findings were striking:
1. ACEs are incredibly common. Sixty-seven percent of the population in the study reported at least one ACE, and 12.6 percent — one in eight individuals — reported four or more ACEs.
2. There is a dose-response relationship between ACEs and health outcomes. The higher a person’s ACE score, the worse their health outcomes, specifically:
For a person with an ACE score of four or more, the relative risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was two and a half times that of someone with an ACE score of zero.
The relative risk for hepatitis was also two and a half times.
The relative risk for depression was four and a half times.
The relative risk for suicidality was 12 times.
A person with an ACE score of seven or more had triple the lifetime risk of lung cancer and three and a half times the risk of ischemic heart disease, the number one killer in the United States.
Because of this landmark study, we now have a clearer understanding of how exposure to early adversity impacts the developing brains and bodies of children:
It affects areas such as the pleasure and reward center of the brain implicated in substance dependence.
It inhibits the prefrontal cortex, which is necessary for impulse control and executive function, a critical area for learning.
And as shown in MRI scans, it creates measurable differences in the amygdala, the brain's fear response center, pointing to actual neurologic reasons for individuals exposed to significant childhood trauma to be more likely to engage in high-risk behavior. (It turns out that even if a person doesn’t engage in any high-risk behavior, they are still more likely to develop heart disease or cancer than their peers who did not experience childhood trauma.)
Mental, Physical and Lifespan Ramifications of Childhood Trauma
Childhood trauma can have profound and lasting effects on a person’s mental and physical health throughout their lives. Following are specific ways in which childhood trauma can impact individuals over time:
Mental Health
Developmental impact: Childhood trauma can disrupt normal development processes, leading to difficulties in emotional regulation, coping mechanisms, and interpersonal skills.
Increased risk of mental health disorders: Childhood trauma is linked to an increased risk of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD, and borderline personality disorder.
Emotional regulation: Trauma can disrupt a person's ability to regulate emotions, leading to mood swings, outbursts, and difficulties in managing stress.
Cognitive function: Trauma may impact overall cognitive performance, affecting memory, attention and problem-solving skills.
Self-esteem and identity: Individuals who have experienced trauma may struggle with low self-esteem, feelings of worthlessness, and challenges in forming a positive self-identity.
Related: Why Women with PTSD Often Suffer in Silence (But You Don’t Have To)
Attachment issues: Trauma can impact the formation of secure attachments, leading to difficulties in forming and maintaining healthy relationships.
Negative self-perception: Individuals who have experienced trauma may develop negative self-perceptions, leading to low self-esteem and self-worth.
Physical Health
Increased risk of chronic diseases: Childhood trauma has been linked to an increased risk of developing chronic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders.
Stress response: Childhood trauma can dysregulate the stress response system, leading to chronic activation of stress hormones like cortisol, which can contribute to long-term health issues.
Altered brain development: Trauma can affect brain development, leading to changes in brain structure and function, which may impact cognitive abilities, memory, and emotional regulation.
Inflammatory response: Trauma can trigger an inflammatory response in the body, increasing the risk of inflammation-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, and metabolic conditions like obesity and diabetes.
Sleep disturbances: Trauma can lead to sleep disturbances such as insomnia, nightmares, and disrupted sleep patterns, which can impact overall health and immune function.
Impaired immune function: Trauma can weaken the immune system, making individuals more susceptible to infections and illnesses.
Lifestyle: People who have experienced trauma may engage in unhealthy coping mechanisms such as substance abuse, which can further impact their physical health.
Lifespan
Interpersonal relationships: Childhood trauma can affect how individuals form and maintain relationships throughout their lives, potentially leading to issues with trust, intimacy, and communication.
Related: The Link Between Childhood Trauma and Adult Loneliness
Work and academic functioning: Trauma can impact work performance, academic achievement, and career advancement due to challenges in concentration, interpersonal skills, and emotional regulation.
Parenting and caregiving: Individuals who have experienced trauma may face challenges in parenting and caregiving, potentially perpetuating the cycle of trauma across generations.
Addressing Childhood Trauma Can Mitigate its Risks
It's important to note that not everyone who experiences childhood trauma will develop long-term mental and physical health issues. Factors such as resilience, social support, and access to resources can play a significant role in mitigating the effects of trauma.
The critical role of support cannot be overstated: The first trauma is what happens to the individual. Secondary trauma can occur from the lack of support in response to the original trauma.
Addressing childhood trauma and its effects requires ongoing therapeutic support, self-care practices, and sometimes medical interventions to promote healing and recovery. Professional help from mental health providers, support groups, and community resources can play a significant role in addressing the long-term effects of childhood trauma.
Understanding the complex ways in which childhood trauma can impact mental and physical health over one's lifespan is crucial for developing effective interventions and support systems to help individuals overcome these challenges and lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.
Asking for help is a sign of strength.
If you or someone you love experienced or is currently navigating childhood trauma and would like to learn more about treatment with one of our therapists who specializes in trauma, please contact us by submitting this form or by phone at 847-729-3034. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have.