Your early experiences help shape what you believe about the world: It’s a secure place versus it’s a scary place, or perhaps somewhere in between. This isn’t the case for everyone, but it may be the case for some people. There are myriad ways that childhood trauma could impact the way you experience adult relationships. Impact of childhood trauma on adult relationships
Many other factors are at play, like the intensity of the trauma, how long you were exposed to it, and how often it occurred.Īnother consideration is whether you had other satisfactory relationships around you at the time, like family members, caring teachers, faith leaders, or other adults who felt safe to you. For example, if you were 14 instead of 4.īut this isn’t always the case. So, in general, the older you are when trauma occurs, the less it may impact your future relationships. Our brains develop rapidly from newborn to toddlerhood. So, when people we depend on for survival hurt us or aren’t present, it can impact how we view human connection.Īge can play a role, too. “On the other hand, if the parents or caregivers do not provide enough support, or if they were the source of the trauma, the child is more likely to experience negative effects from that experience,” she says.Ĭomplex trauma, which is repeated exposure to distressing events or experiences over a period of time, can be particularly pervasive.Ĭhildhood trauma can impact relationships because we learn about emotional bonds early in life. “If children have enough nurturing and support, they are much less likely to experience trauma-related symptoms,” says Christie Pearl, a licensed mental health counselor and certified EMDR therapist. What really matters is how you perceived the situation and how you feel. any other event where you felt scared, helpless, horrified, or overwhelmedīecause we all experience life in different ways, what may be traumatic for you may not be for someone else.It refers to any significantly distressing experiences you may have been exposed to as a child.