As an adult I had no idea, my low-grade depression and repression of emotions related to childhood. I also felt disconnected and alone in the world. All this, and more, resulted from childhood trauma.
I remained unaware of the root of my trauma. I, however, accepted without question an intuitive knowing. This occurred at age 24. I accepted the highest goal. The aspiration for emotional and spiritual growth.
As a traveler, as stated by Robert Frost, I chose the “road less traveled”. That choice charged my journey fast forward. I realized in later life, “that has made all the difference.”
“Two roads diverged in a wood,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.” Robert Frost -The Road Not Taken
On another note, our childhood pain lays at the root of suffering and later health challenges.
Childhood trauma may involve physical, sexual, emotional abuse and neglect by parents.
Trauma includes some of the following:
- family dysfunction and separation
- lack of emotional bonding between children and parents
- poor parenting practices
- witnessing violence between parents
“Almost half the nation’s children have experienced at least one or more types of serious childhood trauma …) USA National Survey of Children’s Health May 2013
“Globally, it is estimated that up to 1 billion children aged 2–17 years, have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence or neglect in the past year.” World Health Organization, June 2020
How to Heal Childhood Trauma
Gabor Mate M.D. as an expert on Addiction and Stress shows how to heal childhood trauma. In fact, to heal addiction and stress, the inner child requires healing.
For twelve years Dr. Maté worked in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside with patients challenged by hard-core drug addiction, mental illness and HIV. He also has over 20 years of family practice and palliative care experience.
Power of Addiction and the Addiction of Power: Gabor Maté https://youtu.be/66cYcSak6nE
As children we get stuck in fight or flight. Everything becomes a threat. We feel unsafe. As a result, we became hypervigilant. As a result, the adrenals secrete an overload of cortisol. This remaps our brain.
Being on constant alert parts of our brain become less able to develop pathways for future learning.
I still experience hypervigilance.
“The automatic repression of painful emotion is a helpless child’s prime defense mechanism … The unfortunate consequence is a wholesale dulling of emotional awareness.” Gabor Mate M.D.
“There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds.” – Laurell K. Hamilton – Author
“The attempt to escape from pain is what creates more pain.” Gabor Mate M.D.
Gabor Mate – How Emotions Affects Our Cognitive Functioning https://youtu.be/UYvxlkCGmbQ
See Also – How Do We Heal Trauma? https://www.emotionalhealthtips.com/heal-trauma/
https://www.emotionalhealthtips.com/wounded-inner-child-3/
https://www.emotionalhealthtips.com/inner-victim-child/
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