00:00 But you were so young when that happened.
00:02 You hardly even remember it.
00:03 How can it even affect your personality now?
00:06 Saying things like these cannot undermine the fact
00:09 that childhood trauma exists.
00:11 And even if you don't exactly remember it,
00:13 it still leaves an impact on you.
00:15 The American Psychology Association defines trauma
00:17 as an emotional response to terrible events,
00:21 often resulting in lasting mental and physical effects.
00:24 Childhood trauma can occur when a child witnesses
00:27 or experiences overwhelming negative events.
00:30 This type of trauma falls within the category
00:32 of interpersonal trauma,
00:34 which means trauma that happens between people
00:36 and usually occurs in relationships with abuse,
00:39 assault, neglect, violence, exploitation, or bullying.
00:43 But what does it really mean?
00:45 Can childhood trauma affect your life as an adult?
00:48 The answer is yes.
00:49 Research has shown that adverse childhood experiences
00:52 are much more common than acknowledged
00:55 and can have severe impacts on adult health,
00:57 even 50 years later.
00:59 International surveys show
01:00 that childhood traumatic experiences
01:02 are common across the world.
01:04 These distressing events from early life
01:06 can continue to shadow your later life as an adult.
01:09 Here's how your childhood trauma affects your decisions
01:12 as an adult.
01:13 Number one, decision-making.
01:15 Have you ever wondered why you always seem
01:17 to make the wrong choice?
01:19 Are you still feeling stuck, not knowing what to do
01:22 while everyone else around you is smoothly sailing forward?
01:25 Is this just you being bad
01:26 at choosing what's best for your life?
01:28 In truth, the reason might lie within your childhood.
01:32 Research shows that those who suffered significant trauma
01:34 at a young age cannot correctly consider risk as adults.
01:38 Experiencing extreme stress during early development
01:42 has been shown to cause changes in the frontal areas
01:44 of the brain associated with learning,
01:46 decision-making, and memory,
01:48 causing interference with the formation
01:51 of the connections and networks
01:52 that support thinking and learning.
01:53 A study with over 50 people around the age of 20
01:56 found that those who had experienced extreme stress as kids
02:00 were hampered in their ability
02:01 to make good decisions as grownups.
02:03 The study involved adults engaging in gambling situations
02:06 designed to assess their response
02:08 to risk-taking, reward, and punishment.
02:11 The results showed that the people
02:12 who did not have stressful childhoods
02:14 tended to pay attention to the clues and gamble wisely.
02:18 Those who had suffered severe trauma did not.
02:20 They would, for instance,
02:21 choose the shape they had been warned against
02:24 and make a mistake repeatedly.
02:26 Number two, interaction with others in relationships.
02:29 Loving is hard, but it can be even harder
02:32 if you've suffered from distressing memories
02:34 in your childhood.
02:35 If you've experienced trauma
02:36 during the first years of your life,
02:38 then the odds are you might look at
02:40 and experience adult relationships in a certain way.
02:43 Perhaps you don't feel safe all the time,
02:45 even when you're in a healthy relationship.
02:47 Perhaps you hesitate to open your heart to anyone.
02:50 If you're feeling this way,
02:51 you are experiencing relationship challenges,
02:54 know that you're not alone.
02:55 In the United States, more than 2/3 of children
02:58 have experienced some form of trauma,
03:00 according to the Substance Abuse
03:01 and Mental Health Services Administration.
03:03 And there's a myriad of ways that childhood trauma
03:06 could impact the way you experience adult relationships.
03:09 In early childhood, secure attachment develops
03:11 within loving, nurturing, and stable relationships
03:14 in which your emotional and practical needs are met,
03:17 offering a kind of oasis in times of distress.
03:20 However, when your early childhood experiences
03:23 are marked by abuse or neglect,
03:26 your ability to form such attachments is disrupted,
03:29 resulting in attachment injury, trust issues,
03:32 and even mental health conditions.
03:33 Early attachment disruption
03:35 can cause an internal attachment disorder later.
03:38 This mirrors the emotional injuries
03:40 experienced in early childhood.
03:42 Hence, the only survival strategy left for you
03:45 is to alienate from yourself,
03:47 as well as from others.
03:49 Recovery begins when you learn to heal your hurt inner self.
03:54 Self-compassion and acceptance are key to recovery.
03:58 When life stressors evoke the fears and feelings
04:00 caused by early childhood trauma,
04:02 healing can come when you learn to hold close
04:05 and nurture the part of yourself
04:06 that is vulnerable and lacking in trust.
04:09 It's important to remember
04:10 that your past doesn't define who you are.
04:13 Yes, it's a part of your life,
04:15 but so is your present and your future.
04:18 Healing can take a long time, but it's possible.
04:21 Healing the harms and injuries of our childhood
04:24 is one of the hardest things we can do,
04:25 but it's necessary for us.
04:28 If you wanna get over the past,
04:30 you have to start by acknowledging it one step at a time.
04:33 Remember that you're not alone on this arduous journey.
04:36 Several organizations can offer you help and support.
04:39 Talk to someone you trust,
04:40 such as a friend, counselor, or youth worker.
04:44 If you found this video helpful,
04:45 remember to share with anyone who may benefit from it.
04:48 Looking forward to reading any thoughts or suggestions
04:50 you might have as well in the comments down below.
04:52 Thanks for watching.
04:53 See you next time, Psych2Goers.
04:55 (gentle music)
04:57 (gentle music)
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