The Library
Heavy subjectTraumaFamilyMen1 minute read
Trauma in childhood, felt as an adult
What happened when you were young can shape how you live now. Some of the ways, and what helps.
Many adults carry things from childhood that were never named: violence at home, neglect, abuse, a parent who could not cope, being sent away, losing someone too young.
How it can show up now
- Finding it hard to trust people, or trusting the wrong people
- Feeling you have to handle everything alone
- Strong reactions to criticism or being let down
- Difficulty knowing what you feel or need
- Repeating patterns you swore you would not repeat
It was not your fault
Children cannot protect themselves from what adults do. Whatever happened, you were a child. What you did to survive made sense at the time.
What helps
- Learning about how childhood experiences affect adults, from good sources
- Noticing your patterns without blaming yourself for them
- Building relationships where it is safe to be honest
- Working with a counsellor who understands childhood trauma
It is never too late. Many people begin this work in their thirties, forties, or later, and find real change.
