Submitted Anonymously
*WARNING: sensitive content/trigger warning. Please be advised before continuing*
The purpose of this exercise below was for my client to write a letter to her younger self and acknowledge what she went through in order to help heal her current self. The letter can be to yourself at a specific age or just the general “younger” you. I told her to think about what you have learned about yourself and life since then, to close your eyes and breathe, and bring yourself back. Despite this exercise having the intent to be therapeutic and bring awareness, I did warn how this could be overwhelming as well.
Show kindness and compassion to your younger self. Consider what you have experienced; give that advice and reassurance. Don’t be afraid to be honest and vulnerable with yourself.
She wanted me to share it with others, solely to bring awareness to several things that has transpired in her life and she wished she was protected/people would recognize the signs. She admitted this letter to herself was a step in the right direction during this journey.
(Her name has been crossed out.)
*WARNING: sensitive content/trigger warning. Please be advised before continuing*
According to various research studies, approximately 4 million children are exposed to trauma in the U.S. every year. More than two thirds of children reported at least 1 traumatic event by age 16. Due to such traumatic experiences, these children are susceptible to psychological disorders and serious emotional turmoil, often needing the assistance provided in trauma therapy.
There are numerous ways a child can be affected by trauma. Several examples include:
Sexual or physical abuse
Natural disaster (hurricane, earthquake, flood)
Car or plane crashes
War
Witnessing a death, murder or suicide
Kidnapping
Rape
Shootings (Drive-by shooting, school shooting)
Incest
Fires
Severe neglect
Violence in the home
Hostage situations
General violence or an unexpected disaster can be very traumatic to a child, even if such an experience may not have seemed to be very serious. After a traumatic event like those listed above, attendance at a trauma treatment center is often recommended.
Neglect also plays a huge role in this. The lack of proper emotional support as emotional and psychological abuse. This abuse can be termed as ignoring a child, withholding love and affection, constantly teasing the child, corrupting a child through inappropriate materials or deceiving the child/acting untrustworthy. This may cause severe alterations in the brain of a child affecting their stability later in life.
Symptoms of Trauma in Children
Anxiety, terror
Withdrawn from others
Constantly alert
Re-enactment of situation with various objects
Irritability
Difficulty sleeping
Lack of energy
Inability to concentrate
Amnesia
Poor self-image
Bedwetting
Guilty feelings
Shows signs of obsessive or compulsive behaviors
Panic attacks
Recurrent nightmares, flashbacks
Shyness
Avoidance of situations similar to the traumatic event
Pain
Inability to give or receive proper love and affection
Effects of Trauma in Children
Severe anxiety
Self-injury
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Phobias
Depression
Drug Abuse typically requiring the help of a drug rehab facility
Insomnia
Promiscuity
Difficulty learning, struggling in school
Brain alterations
Suicide
Eating disorders which sometimes may require the attention of a qualified eating disorder treatment center
Extreme anger and hostility
If you can relate to this submitted story, comment and share your own #WWHHW moment.