What effects can trauma and abuse as a child have in later life?

Trauma and abuse can have many effects on people and it varies greatly from person to person. The effects of abuse often don't depend on the severity of the abuse itself, as some people are extremely resilient. In general, physical abuse can impact self-esteem, ability to control or express anger, and the ability to feel comfortable getting close to others. Sexual abuse can do the same, also causing difficulty enjoying sex and impact body image. Verbal, or emotional abuse, can also impact self-esteem and the ability to feel comfortable in relationships, as well as feeling like one will never do well in life. With all forms of abuse, it is common for the effects to increase when you have your own children and they are the same age you were when you experienced the abuse. This is something to recognize and address ahead of time, if possible.

There are many, and it really just depends on the person, the type of trauma or acuse, and the extent of it. Sometimes it can result in PTSD and flashbacks, depression and anxiety, severe phobias- which would be characterized as PTSD, and then many side effects of PTSD. This includes borderline personality disorder. However, sometimes the effects are minimal. Sometimes the child uses the memories and what they've been through and move past it in a positive manner. The age at which the trauma accurs can also have an effect on the child later on. Sometimes they are too young to remember, too young to remember details, etc... It can be very scary at any age.

Children commonly take on the mindset that the abuse is their fault, especially if it came from a parent or loved one. To a child, if they are abused, it means that either the abuser is 'bad' or they are 'bad'. If love and abuse come from the same source, then it will be increasingly confusing for them. Because if a parent or loved one is the abuser, the child most likely loves and is loved by them. Therefore the abuser is not 'bad', the child is. This reasoning leads to low self-esteem, self-hatred, frustration, and questioning of "Why aren't I good enough?" Age is also an important factor. Depending on an individuals pace of development, it is usually safe to say that children that experience repetitive and/or severe trauma before the age of 7 can also have a chance of developing Dissociative Identity Disorder.

Trauma can effect a person later in life by the means of flashbacks and depressive episodes. One may experience PTSD or similar diagnosis.

Depression, lacking trust, feeling like you don't belong anywhere, like there is something wrong or dirty about yourself, isolating yourself especially if it is still a secret, stress, sleep issues, relationship issues, I think the list is quite long, I'm just saying some.....

There are many ways that trauma can manifest itself. It can manifest itself as CPTSD (complex post traumatic disorder), anxiety, bipolar, depression or many other mental health issues. It can affect your self esteem. It can affect your risk for addictions and alcoholism. It can cause codependency issues. There’s a lot that trauma can cause. There is hope though! It is possible to heal from these issues. Trauma literally rewires your brain and increases the fight of flight response. It also increases the risk of cancer, autoimmune disease and heart disease. The book “The Body Keeps the Score” Is a great resource when it comes to this. Childhood trauma literally affects the amygdala which is a part of your brain. Childhood trauma affects a lot. Like I said before though healing IS possibly and now they’ve found that our brains can heal from trauma and rewire the brain structure.

Trust and safety issues are a common consequence of trauma and abuse. Being able to confidently assert boundaries can be a challenge when boundaries have been regularly violated . This can lead to more abusive situations and less healthy relationships. The sense of safety and trust can be fragile leading to anxiety and trouble bonding with others. Most of all the sense of self worth when damaged can lead to self destructive behaviours , anger issues and relationship difficulties. It is not easy to rebuild one's core sense of worth and learn self love. It takes a conscious effort. Building a sense of trust and wellbeing in relation to the world is important. This can be challenging when trauma has defined a more negative world view , leading to negative expectations