Surviving Childhood Essay

Throughout the years, several adults have been affected by traumatic events that have taken place during their childhood(s). Lenore C. Terr (January, 1999) states, "Childhood trauma appears to be a critical etiological factor in the development of a number of serious disorders both in childhood and in adulthood." To better understand childhood trauma, Terr defines this as, the "mental result of one sudden, external or a series of blows, rendering the young person temporarily helpless and breaking past ordinary coping and defense operations" (January, 1999). The statistics of childhood trauma is alarming. In the United States, there are approximately five million children that experience trauma each year, with two million of these cases

Childhood and adolescence is a crucial time for humans- a time full of physical, emotional, and cognitive development. Upon observing the significant impact that trauma induced stress can have on adults following time in combat or an injury, when adults have fully matured in all areas, it raises the question of what influence post-traumatic stressors can have on development in children. This issue was so significant that in the DSM-5, the psychologists introduced a new, and separate, section of criteria for PTSD that specifically relates to the preschool subtype, or those individuals six years and younger. The first age specific sub-type for this disorder is important due to the rising number of studies and cases of PTSD in children.

When I was five years old, my mom told me that there were some children who didn’t have moms. I was shocked, and told my mother frankly that I’d be their mom. Caring for children with early trauma has been the driving passion of my life. When I was six and again when I was eight, my parents adopted children from Vietnam. Having siblings who were born and orphaned in another country put a very personal face for me on human rights and child welfare issues around the world. I’ve spent the last four years working for the International Foster Care program at Catholic Charities Fort

& Li, 2001). With the brain developing at its fastest rate in childhood, it is especially

According to Egger and Arnold, stated in one study of children age 2-5, more than half (52.5 percent) had experienced some severe stressors in their lifetime (Egger & Angold, 2004, as cited in NCTSN, n.d.). Traumatic events have an overwhelming effects on children’s emotional, mental, and physical health. Many children might have feelings of

In general, traumatic events effects children throughout different times in their adolescence (Alisic, 2012; Deihl, 2013; Little & Little, 2013; Walkey & Cox, 2013). For example, the Mental Health of Tarrant County (2012) revealed that “26% will witness or experience a traumatic event before they turn four years of age and more than 13% of students report being abused” (p. 1). Children’s reaction to trauma is different from how adults react (Bennett et al., 2014; Elzy et al., 2013; Garfin et al., 2014; Walkey & Cox, 2013; West et al., 2014). Traumatic events can lead children to events that cause suspensions and maybe eventually dropping out of school (Porche et al., 2011). Researchers found exposure to traumatic events early cause problems

The client reported she was involved in a car accident in 2012 where her vehicle spun out of control. She denied she sustained any medical injuries. Stephanie reported she has experienced childhood trauma. Reportedly, when she was 8yoa her 12 year old cousin sexually molested her. She indicated, she informed her aunt, but was told not to say anything else about the incident. She also shared as an adult, her cousin whom molested prepositioned her to have sex with one of his friends. She stated she felt like a prostitute and a "piece of her had died." She further shared, she was raped by a male student, which resulted in a short term physically abusive relationship for four months. She stated she after they dissolved the relationship he admitted

A trauma from a childhood experience will definitely affects a child as they mature into adulthood. Prime examples of this argument could be superheroes. Spider-Man was affected as a child because he lost both of his parents at young age. When Peter Parker was in high school, his Uncle Ben, who was the closest father figure he had, was murdered. While conducting further research, I discovered that while Peter Parker was talking to a young boy who had been molested by an older man, Spider-Man revealed that the same thing happened to him.

Traumatic experiences are a reality in this world, a reality most of the world want to turn their eyes away from and act as if it does not exist; unfortunately, victims of childhood trauma aren’t so lucky. Childhood trauma, massively increases health risk while lowering life expectancy, however, many forms of abuse remain undocumented. Neglect along with emotional, physical, and sexual abuse continue to haunt victims throughout life. Exposure to trauma permanently changes the bodies physiology which in return may cause anxiety, distress, dependency, insomnia, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Issues of childhood trauma can and should be prevented in correlation with an increase of awareness.

When young children experience trauma the aftermath is far greater than when an adult experiences trauma. With their brain still developing these traumatic events have a huge impact in reducing their brain cortex. This ultimately can affect many complex functions, such as memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thinking, language, and consciousness. These changes may also affect their IQ and the ability to regulate emotions, making the child fearful and may not feel as safe or as protected. When their parent or caregiver is the one causing these experiences the child will often become stressed and their ability to communicate effectively will decline. Researchers have come up with two main coping skills. They are hyper-arousal continuum (fight,

My early experiences with microaggressions caused me to have improper reactions of calling people out on their statement, which usually came out with the same surprising response. I feel that most people who use microaggressions are unaware that they engage in racial communications that are negative or derogatory insults to people of color. Microaggressions are the current forms of discrimination that are more subtle than direct, and I’m stunned that only when I called people out on their words were they unconsciously discriminating. While these early instances of microaggression were unconscious, I feel the more conscious forms, like microinsults, are more inappropriate and discriminating.

While as a culture, we’ve brought to light many things that were formerly kept silent, the issue of childhood trauma is one that still remains under-explored, and under-represented. The pervasiveness of childhood physical and sexual abuse is something that many remain unaware of, despite the fact that the long-term effects of mistreatment are ones that remain with the victim for years after. Post traumatic stress is a disorder that has received more attention in recent years, as researchers and citizens alike have come to recognize the reality that wars, and natural disasters are far from the only causes of post traumatic stress disorder. While the treatments and diagnostic criteria for PTSD have evolved over the years to encompass more accurate and extensive symptoms, the diagnosis itself remains one that is more relevant for those who’ve experienced singular or infrequent traumatic events in early adulthood and beyond. Those who’ve been exposed to chronic and long-term abuse, particularly in the early formative years of life when the brain and its mechanisms are still developing, experience a wide-range of symptoms that the PTSD diagnosis does not encompass. It is for this reason, that extensive research has been done on the effects of chronic and long-term abuse.

Professor Stephanie Lake of University of British Columbia writes in the UBC Medical Journal about the long-term lasting effects of childhood trauma. Lake explores the effect of physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional/psychological abuse, physical and emotional neglect, and exposure to domestic violence on mental health in adulthood (Lake 2016). Lake refers to childhood trauma as an exposure to traumatic events such as "being abused or neglected by a parent or guardian, surviving a natural disaster or an act of terrorism, or witnessing the loss of a loved one" (Lake 2016). The study focused on complex childhood trauma meaning the "traumatic exposure that tends to be experienced together and cumulatively over the course of childhood, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional/psychological abuse, physical and emotional neglect, and exposure to domestic

The most critical component in the psychological development of a lust murderer is violent fantasy. Fantasies accompany "intrusive thoughts about killing someone that are associated with other distressing psychopathological processes". Sometimes the experience of killing can generate new fantasies of violence, creating a repetitive cycle. The purpose of fantasy is total control of the victim, whereas a sexual assault can be used as a vehicle for control. Sexual torture becomes a tool to degrade, humiliate, and subjugate the victim. Often victims are selected by the killer to stand as a proxy, resulting from childhood trauma. Typically, fantasies involve one or several forms of paraphilia. And of course, personality disorders and mental illnesses

Charlie went through repressing intense feelings caused by a series of unfortunate events in his life. When a childhood trauma is unresolved it can lead to future intimacy problems. For example, as Sam and Charlie became intimate, he becomes uncomfortable, “ It was like everything made sense. Until she moved her hands under my pants, and she touched me. That’s when I stopped her.” Despite the fact that he wanted this to happen since the day he met her, he couldn’t go through with it. When an individual experiences trauma as a child, being physically and emotionally intimate becomes a task as one grows older. The ‘unresolved emotional trauma’ he suffered deprived him of the simplest of things, loving back.