Adult  vs. Childhood Trauma

Adult trauma is the experience of a bodily or emotional event, usually negative, as an adult verses a childhood happening. A traumatic episode can have a lasting psychic effect on both an adult or child, but especially on children who are still forming their personality.

Adult vs childhood trauma effects how the person sees adversity or negative events that occur in the journey of life.  Those who have had a strong support system and have been able to process what happened are more capable of handling additional stress than those who had no one to help them deal with the negative trauma.

Is It Trauma or Just Stressful Incident

Adults who have experienced trauma as children are more likely to perceive events in their grown lives as traumatic rather than stressful.  Adults who have had fairly trauma-free early lives tend to perceive negative  events and experiences as more isolated and have a greater stress tolerance.

Adults and children who have not dealt successfully with the  past traumatic events tend to link their current trauma to past events.  By processing and working through a traumatic event, whether as an adult or child, allows the individual to put it in a wider context of life.

The individual learns great coping skills that can transfer to other areas of life.

Do Some People Attract Trauma

Some scientific studies have shown that those with early childhood trauma  which has never been resolved or processed continue to experience more trauma as adults. The debate is how much it is a matter of perception or choice to keep attracting that to which they have unfortunately become accustomed.  Some people create crisis situations because they have become accustomed to being in crisis.

Negative Belief Systems Can Be Changed

If you were involved in either Adult or Childhood Trauma, you will want to re-examine your belief system and make sure it is serving you now.  If not, then reframe the trauma and process the experience so it is not repeated.

I would invite you to check out

http://www.EncourageSelfConfidence.com for a more complete look on how to modify your belief systems. You deserve to put the past behind you and become more confident in the future.

We have all had emotional wounding in our lives.  Usually the negative beliefs about our capabilities, appearance or skills was given to us by someone in our early life experience.  The hurt or criticism was typically handed out by a caregiver, parent or teacher. They may even have had the best of intentions and really loved us, but did not know how to express that love in a positive manner.

Reframe Past Hurts

Reframing is a process of consciously choosing the thoughts you have about your memories and experiences.  You cannot make past events go away.  What happened to you is real and is a part of who you are.

However, you have the power to control your future and the ability to have another look at what happened. In the worst of experiences, there was some good.  You can choose to reflect on the life lesson learned in the experience and focus on that rather than the sad or traumatic emotional wounding that occurred.

It is as if you have been given a family portrait from your grandmother’s estate.  You value the picture, but the frame does not go with your style of decorating.  You simply re-frame the photo by putting a new frame around the old picture.  It now fits who and what you are today.

Virginia Dunstone M.S. in her book Why Do I Do What I do? suggests we ask ourselves these questions about past hurts;

• Can I change what happened?
• What is right about this picture?
• What does the situation teach me?
• Who would I be without this experience?
• Who are the teachers in this memory?
• What did they teach me?
• How can I serve others with what I have experienced?

Past Hurts Can Heal

When we understand that what may have occurred in a vulnerable time in our belief forming years may no longer be relevant, if it ever was, it is easier to let the emotional wounding go. They may shape the adult we became.

Empowerment can come from overcoming emotional wounding and recognizing that we no longer need to carry that burden  of hurt from the past. We can choose to see these wounds through the lens of a victim or change the perception by choosing to look at them through a new and better frame.

Look for Mentor or Teacher To Build Confidence

As you go through this journey of life you will need a mentor, guide or teacher who can assist you in putting new frames around old emotional wounding and past hurts.  Please allow me to be that support system for you.

Claim your free MP3 recording and eBook  http://www.EncourageSelfConfidence.com today.  You will be glad you did.

with love and support,

Judy H. Wright aka Auntie Artichoke, family relationship author and keynote speaker

http://www.ArtichokePress.com