Complex trauma histories in a child’s life may impact them with problems thinking clearly, reasoning, or problem-solving, unable to plan ahead, anticipate the future, and act accordingly. When a child grows up under conditions of a constant threat, all of their internal resources go toward survival.
Traumatic experiences affect our neuro pathways and how we respond to similar situations. As this reduces the formation of other pathways needed for adaptive behavior, trauma in early childhood is highly likely to result in disrupted attachment, cognitive delays, and impaired emotional regulation.
That same impaired emotional regulation may also lead to addiction, depression, lack of personal growth, not getting an education, and a lack of financial resources, most likely leading back to depression or addictive behaviors, continuing the trauma cycle, and staying stuck.
For example, trauma can freeze your emotional response at the age you experience it because, on a neurobiological level, the trauma is not correctly processed, rewiring the neuropathways in the brain so it influences thought patterns and behavioral responses as we age.
According to the National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Development via the Early Development Network, “Trauma occurs when a child or youth experiences an intense event or events that threatens or causes harm to his or her emotional and physical well-being. These experiences may range from extreme adverse events, such as war, terrorism, or natural disasters, to more common stressful events, such as community or domestic violence, neglect, medical emergencies, and physical or sexual abuse (National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 2003),”.
To reiterate, for some people, a traumatic event can lead to mental health issues such as:
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Alcohol and drug use/addiction
- Detrimental impacts on relationships with family, friends, and at work
*Note: All content within this article is meant for informational purposes only and is in no way a replacement for professional medical or psychological advice or support. Seek immediate and appropriate care from a healthcare professional should you or a trusted loved one deem it necessary.
What is the difference between trauma and developmental trauma?
From the National Institute of Health, “While developmental trauma is commonly linked to PTSD, the DTD diagnosis captures a more chronic and pervasive form of trauma represented by a constellation of complex and interacting cognitive, emotional, and behavioral symptoms beyond that of PTSD alone. Several studies suggest that children, adolescents, and adults with DTD display a broad range of mental health symptom profiles [e.g., (30, 31, 178, 207, 208)]. These individuals demonstrate significant problems in many areas of their lives, but without accurate assessment, advocacy, and treatment, they may live in mental anguish, vacillating between self-injury, suicidal and antisocial behaviors, and a significant inability to cope with reality and enhance their strengths and resiliencies,”.
Developmental Trauma (DTD) refers to the effects of early and repeated trauma and loss that impact vital relationships in a child’s life, typically happening in those formative years. This type of trauma can leave lasting marks on the brain, affecting areas like memory, cognition, behavior, sensory processing, emotion regulation, and attachment.
Now, unlike posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), developmental trauma is a different ballgame. However, kids who go through developmental trauma can be at a higher risk of developing PTSD. Experts in this field agree that children can experience developmental trauma when they’re faced with a level of threat or loss they can’t psychologically handle, especially if no one is there to help them manage these intense emotions.
Often, kids who’ve been through early relational trauma end up being misdiagnosed with conditions like Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder, bipolar disorder, depression, or schizophrenia.
On the flip side, developmental trauma tends to crop up when a child isn’t given the emotional support they need or when they grow up in an environment where they can’t control their safety. Specialists have found that kids facing this kind of trauma often have parents who are either dealing with their own trauma or struggle to handle their child’s distress.
Emotional trauma brain symptoms
When we go through trauma, our brain goes into survival mode. It shuts down nonessential systems and kicks the sympathetic nervous system into high gear, along with what’s called the mammalian brain. To help us get through, stress hormones flood our system, triggering the classic fight-or-flight response.
Take the hippocampus, for instance. It’s crucial for learning, memory, and keeping our emotions in check. When we sense danger, the hippocampus steps in to adjust our behavior so we raise our guard against potential threats. Imagine you’re walking down a busy street at night and hear footsteps behind you. That jolt of fear and anxiety you feel? That’s your hippocampus reacting to what might be a threat. It sends signals from your ears through the thalamus to the brain stem, lighting up the amygdala. The amygdala’s job is to keep us on alert and help figure out if there’s real danger we need to respond to. It’s this mechanism that lets us feel fear even if we haven’t directly faced a traumatic event.
But, for a child who’s experienced trauma, the hippocampus might struggle to do its job effectively. They might become extra sensitive to danger, with their fight, flight or freeze response going off at the slightest hint of threat. The overwhelming information can lead to intense anxiety. Plus, if stress hormones kick in without the proper emotional support from caregivers to help calm them down, cortisol builds up in the brain of a traumatized child. This buildup can actually interfere with how neurons connect—a seriously impactful side effect of unchecked stress.
In what ways can traumatic experiences impact development?
In conclusion, traumatic experiences, especially those in early childhood, will most likely, and in a profound way, affect development by disrupting emotional regulation, cognitive abilities, and behavior patterns. Without proper support, these impacts may lead to long-term mental health issues, perpetuating a cycle of trauma and stress.