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Nearly every researcher agrees that early
childhood traumas (i.e. those that happen before the age
of six) lie at the root of most long-term depression and
anxiety, and many emotional and psychological illnesses.
Severe traumas can even alter the very chemistry and physiology
of the brain itself! Among mental health professionals,
and even some childhood development specialists, there
is sometimes a lack of understanding over exactly what
constitutes childhood trauma.
A seminal 1992 American Academy of Pediatrics
(AAP) report defines childhood abuse as "a repeated
pattern of damaging interactions between parent(s) [or,
presumably, other significant adults] and child that becomes
typical of the relationship."
In addition to physical, sexual and
verbal abuse, this can include anything that causes the
child to feel worthless, unlovable, insecure, and even
endangered, or as if his only value lies in meeting someone
else's needs. Examples cited in the report include "belittling,
degrading or ridiculing a child; making him or her feel
unsafe [including threat of abandonment]; failing to express
affection, caring and love; neglecting mental health,
medical or educational needs."
The AAP also includes parental divorce
in the list of potentially harmful events which can traumatize
a child.
Many things on the AAP's list of factors
leading to childhood trauma benefit from further definition.
For example, what do "belittling" or "degrading"
mean in terms of a child's development? What actions--or
inactions--on the part of parents or child carers would
lead little Tommy to feel degraded? Under this category
I would include criticism, and even failure to praise
him (for accomplishment, for effort as well as just for
being a "great kid"), listen to his opinions,
and take an interest in his activities or friends. Praise
and encouragement are essential to a child's sense of
competence and emotional security, and absence of positive
feedback can be extremely damaging to a child's self-esteem.
Other stressors include parental fighting,
domestic violence, and bullying, including failure to
curb bullying behavior by siblings or peers. An absence
of consistent rules and boundaries also makes a child
feel unsafe.
According to the AAP, childhood trauma
can also include witnessing community and televised violence.
So Tommy may also grow to feel unsafe if he is allowed
to watch violent movies or traumatic news footage on TV.
In fact violent TV is seen by many researchers as one
of the causes of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The important point is that a traumatic
event or interaction must be a "repeated pattern"
to cause lasting damage. The occasional slap on the wrist
probably won't cause permanent harm; an ongoing pattern
of corporeal punishment, or threat of such punishment,
almost certainly will.
Of course not all traumatic experiences
occur in the home or under a parent's supervision. Ostracism
or exclusion by playmates or fellow kindergarteners has
been shown to be extremely traumatic for a young child.
Similarly being forced to sit still for long periods of
time in day care, or at school (or at home) can be very
stressful and is one of the factors that can lead to ADD/ADHD--especially
in boys.
Other not-so-obvious early childhood
traumas include being cut-off from nature, lack of a stimulating
environment, poverty and racial discrimination (this latter
has been shown to be a factor in some forms of schizophrenia).
Moving home frequently is traumatic for a child (it has
been linked to suicide in older children), as is a disruptive
home life, including having to adapt to a parent's remarriage
and being part of a new blended family (perhaps several
in the course of childhood).
The kinds of childhood traumas that
lead to depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADD/ADHD are rarely
one-off events (even a divorce may be preceded by a long
period of acrimony or instability). Single events, no
matter how traumatic, are most often forgotten by young
children since as the brain develops it disposes of the
synaptic connections (links between brain cells or neurons)
that "remember" them. Repeated events build
up more of these connections and thus stay in the mind--though
not necessarily in the recoverable memory.
Early childhood traumas such as the
one's I've outlined are rather like ghosts in the mind--their
presence is felt influencing our thoughts, beliefs and
actions but they are rarely seen with clarity. Some early
traumatic events can manifest themselves in ways that
make us believe that other, quite different, traumas have
happened to us. An example of this is how some hospital
visits in very early childhood can lead to in adulthood
to "recovered memories" of sexual abuse or even
alien abduction (an operating theatre is very much like
many of the descriptions given of extraterrestrial spaceships).
Some highly stressful events that occur
during pregnancy can be passed from the mother to her
unborn child via stress hormones such as noradrenalin
or cortisol. A child can be born anxious or depressed!
Some traumas are so severe that the resulting symptoms
and behaviors can pass down through generations. Sexual
or severe physical abuse are examples. A little girl can
be traumatized by the abuse her mother suffered in her
childhood, and may feel fearful as a result.
The most important thing to remember
about childhood trauma, however, is that given a safe
and supportive environment in which the child's fundamental
needs for physical safety, emotional security, importance
and attention are met, the damage that trauma and abuse
cause can be mitigated and alleviated. Safe and trustworthy
relationships are also a vital component in healing the
effects of childhood trauma in adulthood, and create an
environment in which the brain can safely begin the process
of recovery.
Note: Consult a reputable healthcare
practitioner or therapist if you are experiencing
the effects of childhood trauma.
About the Author
Dr Bob Murray is a widely published psychologist
and expert on emotional health and optimal relationships.
Together with his wife and long-term collaborator Alicia
Fortinberry, he is founder of the highly successful Uplift
Program, and author of Raising an Optimistic
Child (McGraw-Hill, 2006) and Creating Optimism
(McGraw-Hill, 2004).
Disclaimer: The diagnosis and treatment
of medical or psychiatric disorders requires trained professionals.
The information provided in this article is for educational
purposes only. It should NOT be used as a substitute for
seeking professional help.
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