Unlearning childhood trauma involves professional therapy (like EMDR, CPT, Narrative Therapy) and self-help strategies, focusing on awareness (identifying triggers/patterns), processing (journaling, talking), regulating your nervous system (mindfulness, yoga, grounding), and building new beliefs (self-compassion, setting boundaries) to replace harmful learned responses, supported by a strong network and self-care.
Effective coping strategies for childhood trauma may include:
Unwanted distressing memories, images, or thoughts
Can I heal from childhood trauma without therapy? While professional support is recommended, self-healing strategies like mindfulness, journaling, creative expression, and physical practices can support recovery.
Healing from complex trauma looks different for everyone and can take a while. Some people start feeling better after a few months of therapy, while others might need years to really recover. It's a process that takes time and support, and there are often ups and downs along the way.
Signs of childhood trauma
Survivors of childhood family trauma typically go through 6 stages in their path to healing: pre-awareness, uncovering, digging in, healing, understanding, and nurturing. Using elements from her clinical work, as well as personal experience, Gillis provides support and tips for survivors navigating these 6 stages.
While all traumas leave a profound mark on an individual's life, there's a different level of difficulty in recovering from what's called "complex trauma." Unlike single-incident traumas, complex trauma stems from repeated experiences of stressful and traumatic events, usually in environments where there's no escape.
The "3 C's of Trauma" usually refer to Connect, Co-Regulate, and Co-Reflect, a model for trauma-informed care focusing on building safe relationships, helping individuals manage overwhelming emotions (co-regulation), and processing experiences (co-reflection). Other "3 C's" include Comfort, Conversation, and Commitment for children's coping, and Catch, Check, Change from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for challenging negative thoughts in trauma recovery.
It won't rid you of PTSD and your fears, but let your tears flow and you'll maybe feel a little better afterwards. 'Crying for long periods of time releases oxytocin and endogenous opioids, otherwise known as endorphins. These feel-good chemicals can help ease both physical and emotional pain.
“For trauma survivors, especially those who've experienced neglect or emotional invalidation, oversharing can feel like a fast-track to safety or intimacy — even if it bypasses healthy relationship pacing.” Figueroa adds that you might also overshare intimate details to avoid feeling rejected or unseen.
The 'fight or flight' response is how people sometimes refer to our body's automatic reactions to fear. There are actually 5 of these common responses, including 'freeze', 'flop' and 'friend', as well as 'fight' or 'flight'.
Yes, overthinking can be a trauma response. It often occurs as the brain becomes hyperactive in an attempt to predict or solve future problems to prevent harm. This can manifest as a flight or freeze response, where individuals analyze every situation excessively to feel in control.
“The studies suggest that this happens because early trauma affects stress response,” Holderle says. “Your flight or fight response, your neurodevelopment, gets off track. It suggests that if you can intervene early, when someone has a childhood traumatic event, it could have a huge lasting impact on their life.”
Eight common categories of childhood trauma, often called Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) by the CDC and others, include physical/sexual/emotional abuse, neglect, domestic violence, household substance abuse, mental illness in the home, parental separation/divorce, or having a household member imprisoned, all of which significantly impact a child's development and long-term health. These traumatic events teach children that their world is unsafe, affecting their brains, bodies, and ability to form healthy relationships later in life, leading to issues like chronic stress, attachment problems, dissociation, and hypervigilance.
Childhood trauma can lead to self-sabotaging behaviors as a way to cope with intense emotions and feelings of insecurity. It can also stem from a deep-rooted belief that you are not worthy or deserving of happiness and success due to past experiences.
physical or sexual assault. abuse, including childhood or domestic abuse. exposure to traumatic events at work, including remote exposure.
Trauma-focused therapy can feel mysterious or even intimidating at first. Dr. Judith Herman's three stages of trauma treatment offer a roadmap for healing (Herman, 1998). The stages are: safety and stabilization, remembrance and mourning, and reconnection and integration.
Start by following one simple rule: Don't say anything to yourself that you wouldn't say to anyone else. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself. If a negative thought enters your mind, evaluate it rationally and respond with affirmations of what is good about you.
Experiencing violence, abuse, or neglect. Witnessing violence in the home or community. Having a family member attempt or die by suicide.
Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety and uncontrollable thoughts about the event. Most people who go through traumatic events may have a hard time adjusting and coping for a short time. But with time and by taking good care of themselves, they usually get better.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is a cognitive behavioral treatment that helps kids and teens who have experienced trauma. TF-CBT helps individuals identify and correct false beliefs, develop healthy coping methods, and learn to express their emotions healthily.
Symptoms of Emotional Neglect
“Numbing out” or being cut off from one's feelings. Feeling like there's something missing, but not being sure what it is. Feeling hollow inside. Being easily overwhelmed or discouraged.
Recovery
Recovery is the final stage of PTSD. It occurs when a person takes action to heal from trauma. They might seek professional help and prioritize self-care. They may also gain a sense of hope and control over their lives.