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How Childhood Trauma Impacts Adulthood & What You Can Do About It
- Lisa Ramos
- May 12
- 2 min read
Have you ever wondered why certain patterns keep repeating in your life? Things like toxic relationships, chronic anxiety, or an overwhelming need to please others?
You’re not alone. What many don’t realize is that the root of these struggles may lie in Adverse Childhood Experiences(ACEs). These are early life traumas that, if left unprocessed, can follow us into adulthood, shaping our emotional responses, behaviors, relationships, and even our physical health.
At the Trauma Informed Care Institute, we believe awareness is the first step toward healing. That’s why we created a simple, visual guide to help you connect the dots between childhood trauma and adult challenges.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common ACEs and how they show up later in life:
Physical Abuse
In Childhood: Being hit, slapped, or physically harmed.
In Adulthood: Chronic pain, fibromyalgia, migraines, anger outbursts, fear of intimacy or authority.
Emotional Abuse
In Childhood: Being constantly criticized, belittled, or threatened.
In Adulthood: Low self-esteem, people-pleasing, perfectionism, anxiety, and depression.
Sexual Abuse
In Childhood: Any unwanted sexual contact or exposure.
In Adulthood: PTSD, dissociation, trust issues, body image problems, or unhealthy sexual behaviors.
Emotional Neglect
In Childhood: Emotional needs being ignored or dismissed.
In Adulthood: Feeling unworthy, codependent tendencies, difficulty forming healthy attachments.
Physical Neglect (Unmet Needs)
In Childhood: Lack of food, shelter, medical care, or hygiene.
In Adulthood: Eating disorders, fatigue, hoarding, poor boundaries.
Domestic Violence
In Childhood: Witnessing violence between caregivers.
In Adulthood: Fear of conflict, hypervigilance, anxiety, and attraction to toxic relationships.
Parental Substance Abuse
In Childhood: A parent misusing alcohol or drugs.
In Adulthood: Addiction, caretaking roles, compulsive behaviors, emotional dysregulation.
Parental Mental Illness or Emotional Absence
In Childhood: Living with a parent who is depressed, anxious, or emotionally unavailable.
In Adulthood: Emotional instability, fear of abandonment, self-blame, or avoidance.
Parental Separation or Divorce
In Childhood: Experiencing divorce, abandonment, or inconsistent caregiving.
In Adulthood: Insecurity, fear of rejection, emotional “splitting,” difficulty with commitment.
Trauma Isn’t Who You Are
These patterns don’t mean you’re broken. They are survival strategies your nervous system adopted to keep you safe. But as an adult, you have the power to shift those patterns and create a new experience of life, one rooted in safety, trust, and empowerment.
💡 What’s Next?
✅ Start by identifying your own ACEs
✅ Recognize how they’re still influencing your daily life
✅ Seek trauma-informed support and education
✅ Explore nervous system regulation and healing techniques
We’re here to guide you through that journey.
🌿 Explore more tools, resources, and support at www.traumainformedcareinstitute.com
📌 Save & Share the Image
This visual breakdown is a helpful tool to share with clients, loved ones, or anyone beginning their trauma healing journey.
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