- [Amanda Silvera] There has been a huge decline
in mental health around the world,
which is why we're so committed to creating more content
than we ever have.
Thanks for being a part of our journey.
Do you think you grew up in a healthy environment?
Your childhood is supposed to be the time of joy,
happiness and growth
where you learn about the world through your experiences,
with your parents and the people around you.
But unfortunately, some people don't experience
the blessing of living in a happy household.
If you were neglected or abused as a kid,
you probably suffer the consequences of it to this day
without knowing how toxic your situation really was.
You may have come to believe
that it's just how families work
and bring your learned feelings of shame, fear,
and sadness into adulthood.
To learn more about this,
here are five signs you had a traumatic childhood.
Number one, childless reactions.
How do you cope with stress?
While children cry and throw tantrums
to relieve their frustrations,
it would be a bit odd to see
an adult angrily stomp their feet
in the middle of a long and boring meeting.
This is why adults need to handle their problems
in a different, more mature way.
But if you've suffered trauma as a child,
you might find yourself drifting off to simpler times
when life gets too hard to handle.
This is called age regression,
a coping mechanism
in which your behavior temporarily reverses
to earlier stages of development.
So when faced with stress, you may turn to using baby talk,
throwing tantrums, rocking, or pacing to soothe yourself
or using dolls or stuffed animals for support.
Some extreme cases of age regression can include
crying in a fetal position or bedwetting.
Number two, insecure attachment.
In psychology, the theory of attachment refers to
how our ideas about relationships are learned
through our interactions with our parents or caregivers.
Growing up with a secure attachment meant
that your parents had fulfilled your needs
when you were a baby
and you gained a positive self-image
and learned to trust those around you.
But with an insecure attachment,
your caregivers may have been so unresponsive or neglectful
that your brain decided that others could not be trusted.
And you ended up developing a negative self-image,
which can follow you into adulthood.
As a result, you may struggle to form
or maintain close relationships
because you experience intense feelings of abandonment
or the fear of commitment.
Number three, conflict avoidance.
Were you allowed to stand up for yourself
when you felt you needed to,
or did your parents always just dismiss
your thoughts and ideas?
Growing up in a dismissive
or overly critical environment could have taught you
to expect negative reactions from the people around you
and cause you to be afraid of confrontation.
Whether it's with your partner, family member,
work colleague, or friend,
you may find that you can't really voice your opinions
and will always let them have things their way.
Even when things upset you,
you may just choose to change the topic,
pretend you're okay,
or even force yourself to stay
in an uncomfortable situation
just so you don't have to disappoint anyone.
Number four, low self-worth.
Did your parents praise you for your achievements,
or did they brush them off like they didn't happen?
Were they gentle with their criticisms,
or did they humiliate you when you did something wrong?
If you were constantly criticized for everything you did,
no matter how small or insignificant it was,
you may come to believe that you're worthless
and can't do anything right.
These feelings may continue into adulthood
where even if you were told you did a good job,
you still think it wasn't done right or well enough.
It's as if you're never good enough for others
or for yourself
and live in a constant state of anxiety,
wondering what others think of you
or whether they approve of you or not.
In number five, risky behavior.
Lastly, another possible sign of childhood trauma is
if you engage in lots of risky behavior.
Risky behavior describes any behavior
with an uncertain risk,
whether binge drinking, taking drugs,
reckless driving, and so on.
Studies have shown that exposure to traumatic events
and the development of PTSD symptoms can make you seek
these behaviors more frequently.
Also seeking risk may be a maladaptive strategy
to help you overcome
all those negative feelings you experienced
when you were a child.
Even if you don't see it as a big deal,
risking your life and health is
certainly a cause for concern.
Do you think you had a traumatic childhood,
let us know in the comments below.
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The references and studies used in this video are added
in the description below.
Thanks for watching and see you in the next one.