Sometimes childhood trauma isn’t just about what happened to you, but also what didn’t. Do you look back on your childhood and wish that someone would have recognized your pain? Do you wish that someone would have showed up for you differently? I heard someone describe trauma as something that happens to us too much too soon, too much for too long, and too little for too long. 

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According to the National Institute of Mental Health, childhood trauma is defined as:  “The experience of an event by a child that is emotionally painful or distressful, which often results in lasting mental and physical effects.”

 

Sometimes we believe we missed warning signs predicting a traumatic event. In an effort to prevent future traumas, we become hyper-vigilant in looking for warning signs that something bad is going to happen again. 

 

Common types of trauma include, but are not limited to:

 

• Neglect

• Physical or sexual abuse

• Emotional abuse

• Bullying

• Separation from parent/caregiver

• Sudden and/or serious medical condition

• Witnessing violence, including domestic violence

• Community violence and terrorism

• Sudden loss of a loved one

• Mental illness in the family

• Life-threatening illnesses  

• Accidents

• Separation or divorce of parents

• Deployment or incarceration of a parent

• Natural disasters

• Refugee experiences

• Sexual exploitation

 

International surveys show that traumatic experiences are very common across the world. One study showed that nearly half of all children in the United States are exposed to at least one traumatic social or family experience