What Does Childhood Trauma Look Like in Adults?

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When working with parents, we have to be aware that they may be dealing with their own trauma. Their child experiencing some level of trauma can sometimes trigger parents. Childhood trauma in adults can impact experiences and relationships with others due to experienced feelings of shame and guilt. Childhood trauma also results in feeling disconnected and unable to relate to others. Studies have shown that adults who have experienced childhood trauma were more likely to struggle with controlling emotions and had heightened anxiety, depression, and anger. Think about coping with that while raising a child who also has been impacted by trauma. What would that do to that parent? It is very important to keep this in mind when we are working with parents.

The SAMHSA's National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI) reports that by the age of 16, two-thirds of children report experiencing at least one traumatic event. That gives you an idea that there are many parents out there who have experienced some level of trauma. If these statistics continue to be correct, unfortunately, their children will also experience some level of trauma. There are a number of different ways in which symptoms can manifest for adults living with untreated childhood trauma as seen in the table below. 

Remember, with chronic trauma a person may only feel the symptoms years later, often after a trigger. An adult may begin to have flashbacks, more memories, and night terrors. Understand that it may feel like there's a block between you and the parents you're working with if they're dealing with symptoms like this. It's not necessarily you, the provider, that is the block. It might be because the parent is also dealing with things within themselves, or they may feel shame and guilt. If the parent is feeling shame and guilt over a previous trauma, then that often spreads over to their child. They feel like generational trauma is continuing and they tried their best to protect their child, but this also happened. The bottom line is to think about the child even if the parent has experienced trauma as well.

How Trauma May Affect Parents

As a result of past traumatic experiences, parents may have difficulty keeping themselves and their children safe and healthy. Some parents might be overprotective while others may not recognize the real dangers that can threaten their children. That goes back to the part of the brain that is damaged. If trauma is not addressed when it happens, that part of the brain is not going to heal properly. A parent might resort to coping in unhealthy ways, such as using drugs or alcohol. They may react more strongly or negatively to things, have a harder time understanding or controlling their emotions, behaviors, and words, or be more susceptible to future trauma such as domestic violence.

They can also find it difficult to trust others, especially people in positions of power. They may be more vulnerable to trauma reminders or triggers when a sound, smell or feeling brings back the experience of trauma all over again. Reminders may cause parents to overreact to situations that other parents might not find difficult. They may become numb or shut down, even when interacting with their child. They may misread your words or intentions. These difficulties can indicate the presence of trauma. If you are aware that they might have experienced some level of trauma, don't take things personally. The way that they might be interacting with you could be in regards to their trauma or even their own fears that now this is happening to their child.

This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the course, Collective Trauma and Building a Trauma-Informed Culture, presented by Nadia Tourinho, MSW, LICSW, LCSW-C​.