Did something happen to you when you were younger
that still takes a toll on your mental health today?
Adverse childhood experiences, also known as ACEs,
are defined as traumatic events that occur during childhood
that have a lasting negative impact
on your emotional wellbeing as you grow up.
These events include abuse, neglect,
and other kinds of childhood trauma
such as serious illness, injury, bullying,
peer victimization, and so on.
And even years after we've grown up,
ACEs can still continue to have a negative impact
on our mental health and emotional wellbeing.
So, it's important that we recognize the signs
of lingering childhood trauma
that hold us back from being happy
and accomplishing all that we want to achieve.
In this video, we're going to talk about eight signs
that you may still be battling
against some unresolved childhood trauma.
Before we begin, we would like to mention
that this video is created for educational purposes only
and is not intended to substitute professional diagnosis.
If you suspect you experience post-traumatic stress disorder
or any mental health condition,
we highly advise you to seek help
from a qualified mental health professional.
Number one, you're burdened with guilt.
Your early childhood experiences have a way
of shaping the way you view yourself
and the world around you.
So, if you've had any traumatic experiences
when you were younger,
such as abuse, neglect, or domestic violence,
it can warp your judgment
and negatively impact your mental and emotional wellbeing.
Your unresolved trauma may manifest itself
into unexplained and unreasonable feelings
of intense guilt, shame, and regret.
Number two, you feel anxious for no reason.
Do you feel anxious all the time but don't know why?
Are you agitated and restless?
Do you often experience an elevated heart rate,
profuse sweating, muscle tension, or shakiness?
These are all common symptoms of anxiety.
But it's usually triggered
by a specific stimulus or situation.
If you have no idea where all your anxiety is coming from,
it may be stemming from the emotional trauma
you've been repressing for so long.
Number three, you're emotionally distant.
Have you been guarded or cautious
about who you let into your life
after being hurt by someone you loved?
While others learn to let go of their heartbreaks
and try again,
people who suffer extreme tragedies or emotional pain
find it easier to distance themselves
than deal with the trauma.
You may be hesitant to be vulnerable with anyone
or to form intimate, meaningful relationships with others.
Number four, you struggle to be happy.
Do you struggle to see the good things in life?
You may have had a hard time letting go of your past
and moving forward because of your traumatic experiences.
You resist positive change and fall into the trap of denial,
negativity, and self-sabotage.
After all, happiness can feel scary and unfamiliar
to someone who suffered so much.
Number five, you struggle with self-loathing.
For many people, self-love and self-compassion
don't come easily.
But it can be especially hard for those
who experienced trauma at a young age.
Your past experiences may have taught you
that you don't deserve happiness.
And so, you listen to your own negativity
and sabotage your chances at success.
The consistency in hurt is what makes it so comforting
and so hard to let go of.
Number six, you tear yourself down.
Did you grow up in a toxic home environment?
Do you blame yourself
for everything that goes wrong in your life
even if you had no control over it?
An effect of childhood trauma
is how it negatively affects your self-esteem.
Victims of adverse childhood experiences
tend to have a lot of problematic self-defeating thoughts
and behaviors.
You may be extremely harsh and critical of yourself,
or often feel worthless and inadequate.
Number seven, you can't control your emotions.
Do you often feel overwhelmed
by the intensity of your feelings?
Do you take out your anger and frustration
on those around you?
Difficulty controlling your emotions
and having a low stress tolerance
are both clear signs that you may be struggling
with some lingering psychological trauma.
As a result, you may be more defensive,
quick to get upset, and you lose your temper a lot.
And number eight, you gravitate towards the wrong people.
Do you have a tendency falling into unhealthy relationships
with people who are bad for you?
Your dynamic with your parents are templates
for all of your future relationships.
They teach you what love looks like
and how you should be treated by others.
No matter how awful they may have been,
it's simply human
to want to recreate your early childhood experiences
because it feels familiar and makes sense to you.
So, do you relate to any of the signs mentioned here?
If so, how do you plan to work through your trauma
and move on from the pain you've suffered past?
Let us know in the comments below.
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And as always, thanks so much for watching.