Preparing and Healing From Childhood Trauma
Trauma is an unexpected or tragic situation or event that is emotionally painful and distressful. Childhood trauma is when a child experiences something painful which affects him both emotionally and physically. In some cases, it also includes the struggle which a child or an adult make in order to comprehend what had really happened with him or her. Adults face the same circumstances somewhere in their life but they somehow have to ability to cope with it. They overcome it sooner or later in their lives. As far as children are concerned, their brains are not fully developed to even think about such miserable events. They really don’t have fully functional brains to think about such events as rationally or realistically as adults are capable of doing. In such situations, children develop their own mini world in which they make decisions in order to avoid such situations and keep themselves safe such as:
I can’t trust anybody
I have to stay alert all the times
I am angry (mode is always on)
I am submissive towards people
In such situations, we need to realize how the causes which trigger such traumas in a child’s life. There could be multiple reasons which can trigger such painful situations for the children such as:
Physical or emotional abuse of the child
Household traumas such as domestic violence, parent’s separation, imprisoned household member
Neglected child or child abandonment.
Natural disasters such as flood, earthquakes, a tornado etc.
Preparing The Child For Trauma Healing
The first step towards healing the trauma in your child is to prepare him for it. This includes many steps which can very helpful such as:
Be honest with your child. Don’t hide realities nor exaggerate them as your child’s tiny brain cannot fathom its depth.
Infuse optimism in your child instead of telling that such things happen to everyone and this world is full of pain and misery. Don’t steal his hope. Teach him how to see well in the world.
It’s not their fault, whatever happened was other person’s fault, not theirs. Tell him that when people make bad choices in the world and do bad things, it’s their fault, not his.
Healing From Childhood Trauma
Below we will discuss few ways through which you can help your child to heal from the childhood trauma.
Talk About It
The most effective healer is to talk with your child about the trauma. Let him not think as if nothing had happened. If you do so, he will never be able to overcome it.
Increase Family Time
Spend as much as more time with your child as you could. It will make him feel protected and loved and he will be healed soon.
Increase Social Interactions
Isolation is never going to help your child who is trying to heal from a childhood trauma. Let me socialize with his friends as much as he wants. It will help him forget the painful event sooner than later.
Find A Therapist If Required
Take professional help whenever you feel your child needs it.