How Childhood Trauma Affects You Your Whole Life

As humans, we were designed to feel—it’s central to how we experience life. And inherent to our nature is the desire to feel loved. In a fallen world, however, we exhibit this love imperfectly, both towards others and ourselves. Our words and actions can inflict irreparable damage. The resulting experience is known as trauma.

Trauma comes from an individual having experienced some form of physical, emotional or psychological harm. While everyone reacts differently to trauma, it often causes a dramatic shift in the body’s response to stress.

Childhood trauma is among the most devastating. A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) & Kaiser Permanente links traumatic experiences in childhood to increased likelihood for adult health issues like stroke, heart disease, and diabetes. But beyond the physical symptoms, there’s a change in the physiological makeup of a child that can lead to impaired behavioral-emotional development.

Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, a pediatrician and head of the Center for Youth Wellness in San Francisco, recently conducted a TED talk called “How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across A Lifetime.” In it she states that trauma affects “brain development, the immune system, hormonal systems, and even the way our DNA is read and transcribed.” Along the spectrum of traumatic experiences, Harris is referring to instances of abuse or neglect. “ I'm not talking about failing a test or losing a basketball game. I am talking about threats that are so severe or pervasive that they literally get under our skin and change our physiology.”

These “threats” can include substance abuse or witnessing acts of violence. The study by CDC refers to these as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE). In the study, over 17,000 individuals were surveyed and confidentially asked to cite instances of ACE up until age 18. Each incident was counted toward an overall score. In the findings, the study showed that at least two-thirds of participants had at least one ACE, while 1-in-8 had a score of four or more. Moreover, there was a corresponding relationship between the ACE score and health risks, meaning the higher the score, the greater the negative outcomes.

The associated health risks are only part of the problem; the other behavioral outcomes, like substance abuse, depression and suicide point to the effects of trauma on brain development. Before recently, issues like youth violence would mainly be explained sociologically; Kids growing up in rough neighborhoods are understandably more susceptible to making riskier life choices. But Harris and others are quick to observe why experiencing trauma leads to impaired decision-making.

What happens when a child growing up in a trauma-filled environment lacks the support structure necessary to help manage stress? They can have difficulty functioning normally as they get older and—in some cases—react violently to stressful conditions.

Dr. Richard Dudley is a psychiatrist who works with the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. In his writing he describes his work with a 17-year old black youth, “Andre”, that had been charged with attempted murder. Andre had never previously gotten into trouble, despite growing up in a drug infested, crime-filled neighborhood. Dudley was asked to conduct a psychiatric evaluation in which he learned that Andre had a scholarship to private school where he performed well academically.

However, Andre’s neighborhood and home life were chaotic. His mother had been through a string of abusive relationships, and he had witnessed the shooting death of his best friend at 8 years old. Dudley remarks how no one in Andre’s life was equipped to help him deal with his trauma. In any case, the combination of police volatility along with witnessing violence had taken a toll on Andre’s psyche. He had only begun a carrying a gun himself after his brother had also been shot and killed, making him fearful for his own life.   

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