Healing from Childhood Trauma as an Adult
Many adults who come to therapy for childhood trauma ask, “Is it ever possible to fully heal?”
The answer is yes, everyone can fully heal from trauma with the right amount of support, effort, and patience. Although what happened cannot be undone, those who have experienced childhood trauma can and do heal and live fulfilling, happy lives. Healing doesn’t mean forgetting or undoing the past, but it does mean that trauma no longer controls your present or future.
Childhood trauma itself is not a diagnosis, but it can cause PTSD later in life. Some people may not recognize their childhood trauma as that until adulthood, and some may have knowingly carried it with them for years. One way to assess for childhood trauma is to use the ACES questionnaire - though simply identifying as a person who experienced a traumatic childhood is enough of a reason to seek treatment. Some people may recognize they have trauma when they have memories flood back due to a triggering experience or even a scent, a certain song, or some other sensory experience. This brings us to the first step:
1. Recognize Triggers
“Trigger” has become a popular and somewhat over-used term in the last few years. However, it is important to understand them when discussing trauma. Triggers are any stimuli that spark a memory of a traumatic event, which subsequently may cause one to feel panicked, helpless, or unsafe. Though they can feel scary and overwhelming in the moment, they are a completely normal reaction. They are an automatic defense mechanism, but the good news is that identifying them can allow one to work on reducing their frequency and intensity over time.
2. Seek Support
Healing doesn’t have to happen alone, and perhaps even shouldn’t. Therapy is the first recommended support when dealing with childhood trauma. There are specific therapies available for trauma, with EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) being the most studied therapy for trauma today. Those with childhood trauma can also benefit from trauma-focused CBT, expressive art therapies such as art therapy, music therapy, and dance therapy, and more. Beyond therapy, there are many support groups available for those who experienced childhood trauma.
3. Self-Compassion and Emotion Regulation
Those who have experienced childhood trauma disproportionately experience high self-criticism and low self-worth in adulthood. Therefore, increasing self-compassion will be an important part of the healing journey. Along with that, one goal can be increasing emotional regulation. This means finding ways that work for each individual to calm their nervous system, especially when triggers are present. Some examples could be mindfulness and relaxation techniques, physical activities, spending time in nature, and developing other habits for a healthy mind and body.
4. Narratives
For some, an important part of the healing journey is telling their story or taking control of the narrative. This can be done through writing in a journal, publishing articles or blogs, creating pieces of art or music, or sharing stories with trusted loved ones. When we reclaim our narratives, we shift from being passive recipients of our past to active authors of our future.
All of these steps can help people who experienced childhood trauma heal and live happy lives. Some important things to take away are that healing is not linear, and there is no set amount of time healing “should” take. These are all just suggestions to help those who are ready to heal from childhood trauma get started. If you have read this far, you are already well on your way.
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If you live in Pennsylvania and are interested in engaging in EMDR and/or art therapy, or have any questions about the process, I would be happy to support you. Feel free to send me an email at cassidy@keystonearttherapy.com or give me a call at 267-507-1692.
