Childhood Trauma Test

How to Recognize if You Are Carrying Childhood Trauma

Childhood experiences shape so much of how we perceive the world as adults. Taking a childhood trauma test is a good way to gain insight into what past experiences may be influencing your current actions.

Are you dealing with mental health challenges and related substance abuse problems as an adult? Connect with Icarus Behavioral Health in Nevada today to talk about your situation with an experienced representative. Better mental health outcomes are within reach when you get the right help. We’d love to be on your side today.

Understanding Childhood Trauma

The term childhood trauma describes any distressing event that occurs in the early years of life. Many different types of experiences can be traumatic, continuing to impact an individual for years to come.

Some traumatic events are easy to identify. These include things like physical or emotional abuse. Direct harm at the hands of a trusted adult is an obvious trauma that will require ongoing professional treatment to manage and overcome.

Not all childhood traumas are so evident. Adverse childhood experiences that aren’t as obvious can still leave a lasting mark. Feelings of neglect or abandonment at the hands of a loved one are an example. This might not fit into the classical definition of abuse, but it still leaves emotional scars that can cause mental health issues.

The same can be said of living with an adult struggling with addiction. Simply witnessing the damage that substance abuse can do is more than enough to qualify as a childhood trauma that will need to be addressed.

There are no strict rules for what counts as a childhood trauma. This is something that can look different for everyone. If it is an experience in childhood that has affected brain development or emotional regulation, it fits the description. Working with a mental health professional to identify and confront these traumas is something that should be available to all individuals.

Signs You May Be Carrying Childhood Trauma

Many people have adverse childhood experiences of one type or another. Not everyone stops to go over a trauma symptom checklist to see if those events from the past may be impacting them in some way much later in life.

Please take a moment to explore the list of childhood trauma symptoms we have compiled below. If you believe some of these mental health issues are present in your life due to childhood trauma, reaching out for help should be the next step.

Emotional Dysregulation

People with unresolved childhood trauma frequently struggle to manage emotions effectively. They may experience dramatic mood swings and can be overwhelmed by feelings of anger, sadness, or fear.

It can be hard to connect these emotional challenges to childhood trauma. Many people assign blame for such struggles to other issues in life when it is really the underlying trauma that is causing the problem.

Relationship Difficulties

Those who experienced childhood trauma around relationships can have difficulty entering into a lasting, trusting relationship as an adult. It’s hard to believe in others when you have been let down early in life.

This can also lead to attracting unhealthy relationships. Partners who are emotionally unavailable may actually seem more appealing because they don’t require you to become invested and open yourself up to disappointment.

The related childhood trauma will likely need to be addressed before healthy relationships can be formed as an adult. It’s possible to learn to trust others in a relationship after bad childhood experiences but it will take time and effort.

Low Self-Esteem

Childhood trauma can lead to low self-esteem as an adult. Feelings of unworthiness or shame may be byproducts of the trauma that was experienced.

You may have developed a harsh inner critic that minimizes or diminishes everything you accomplish. This can make it hard to grow in a career or build quality relationships with others.

Working with a mental health professional is the right way forward for anyone in this situation. Learning to process old traumatic events and refocus on your current life can improve your mental health and physical health.

Anxiety and Hypervigilance

Anxiety is extremely common in today’s world. People with childhood trauma to manage are even more likely to struggle with anxiety than the rest of the population.

When you are anxious, you constantly worry about things like safety and your relationships. Your mind is almost always focused on the future rather than the present. This may be a defense mechanism in your brain that is linked to the things that happened when you were young.

Depression and Hopelessness

Depression is the other side of the coin from anxiety. Where anxiety is focused on the future, depression tends to dwell on the past. If your past includes childhood trauma you may feel like the future is somewhat hopeless.

A feeling of hopelessness will leave you disconnected from life and struggling to find purpose. This is a common mental health state for someone with trauma to address. Whether from childhood neglect or some other cause, it’s important to get professional help to successfully mitigate the harm of these traumatic experiences.

Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms

There are many different unhealthy strategies people will use to cope with childhood trauma rather than addressing it head-on. You may recognize some of these coping patterns in your own life.

Substance abuse is a big one. Some people will turn to drugs or alcohol to numb the uncomfortable memories and get through daily life.

But it’s not always substance use that points to childhood trauma. Some people work too much in an attempt to gain validation and acceptance. Others may turn to binge eating. It’s important to identify these coping strategies in your life so you can get help to address the underlying cause.

What to Do If You Recognize Childhood Trauma in Yourself

The section above may sound familiar in a number of ways. Childhood trauma is incredibly common and you might be dealing with one or more issues from the past that you are struggling to get over effectively.

There are a few things you can do when you recognize childhood trauma in yourself, including those listed below.

Take a Childhood Trauma Test

You may wish to start by taking a simple childhood trauma test, either online (we suggest our ‘Do I have trauma quiz‘ as a starting point) with a reputable resource or in person with a therapist. Taking a childhood trauma test will help you better understand your situation and how past trauma is still impacting your life.

Honesty is critical when filling out a childhood trauma questionnaire. You’ll only be able to make progress in dealing with these issues if you are open and honest with yourself and others.

Get Assistance from a Professional

Therapists who specialize in childhood trauma are your best bet for turning over a new page in your life. Consider looking specifically for a therapist who uses evidence-based treatments like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Such treatments are proven to get results and can be powerful tools when administered by an experienced childhood trauma therapist.

Practice Self-Compassion

Your struggles are valid and they are not your fault. Many people beat themselves up over issues related to childhood trauma that were out of their control. It’s not easy to get past this but the first step is simply to be nicer to yourself from day to day.

Notice when you are criticizing yourself and instead replace that criticism with kindness. This is an exercise that will take practice. You have to actively stop your mind from repeating the pattern of being self-critical and substitute in new thoughts.

You can also use self-care activities such as journaling using our stress relief journal prompts to make progress. Demonstrate to yourself that you are worthy of good things by taking time out of your day to enjoy some of your favorite activities.

Most of all, be patient with yourself in this process. It’s hard to work through childhood trauma successfully and you aren’t the only one going through this battle. Be patient and nice to yourself while making steady progress in the right direction.

Develop Healthy Coping Strategies

Everyone has to cope with things in their life. It’s how you cope that is going to say a lot about the outcomes you reach. Avoiding substance use and other harmful forms of coping is critical to staying or getting on track.

Plenty of healthy options exist for coping with childhood trauma. You can practice mindfulness or meditation. You can journal about your emotions and triggers. Find something that works for you and make it a habit.

And if trauma is impacting life on a daily basis, Icarus Nevada offers both inpatient trauma treatment and a range of outpatient mental health treatment options. Please do not hesitate to call our caring staff confidentially for more information.

Seek Professional Help for Addiction Battles

It’s common for individuals with childhood trauma to turn to drugs or alcohol as an escape. Contact Icarus Behavioral Health in Nevada today if that is the situation you are facing.

Our caring, compassionate team will immediately get to work crafting a treatment plan to address your mental health conditions and related substance abuse. Adverse childhood experiences will likely continue to impact your adult life until they are properly addressed with the help of a professional.

Don’t wait any longer to deal with past trauma and turn over a new page. Give our admissions team a call today and let’s work together to improve your mental and physical health.