Have you ever scared of something that haunts you since your childhood? Something so traumatic that is still a fear in your mind? Or look around and observe, is any child going through any difficulties? Do you think these difficulties and tragedies can lead to mental disorders in his/her adulthood? Come and let’s find the answer according to the experts…!
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, childhood trauma is defined as:
“The experience of an event by a child that is emotionally painful or distressful, which often results in lasting mental and physical effects.”
As we grow from childhood to adolescence, tragedies and difficulties happen in our life. Usually, children can cope with these bad things as this is the natural part of their development process. But sometimes, something stuck in their minds so badly, that it results in mental illness in adulthood. The repeated traumatic incidents make an impact on a child’s mind and affect their personality in so many ways. Childhood mental injuries overwhelmed their physical, emotional, intellectual, and social development.
If you are one of them, seek help from the best Psychiatrist in Lahore. Early diagnosis of any disease can help us to cure it in a way better than the late or prolonged disease.
According to experts, childhood traumas are the major cause of adulthood psychiatric issues.
Table of Content
Most common childhood traumas
1.Physical abuse
Physical abuse means when a parent or caregiver commits an act that results in physical injury to a child. For instance, a belt, a chord, a rod, or something very hard is used to punish a child. In this type of abuse, caretakers or parents of the child are usually involved. And the child is afraid of that person, so he/she does not tell anyone.
2.Emotional abuse
To make a child feel worthless, inferior, alone, loathed, or scared repeatedly, refers to emotional abuse. This type of abuse is psychological or verbal abuse. It can include constant rejection, non-acceptance, malevolence, teasing, bullying, shouting, criticism, and exposure to family violence. It is the most common type of child abuse.
3.Sexual abuse
The definition of child sexual abuse according to WHO is:
“Child sexual abuse is the involvement of a child in sexual activity that he or
she does not fully comprehend, is unable to give informed consent to, or for
which the child is not developmentally prepared and cannot give consent, or
that violate the laws or social taboos of society. Child sexual abuse is evidenced
by this activity between a child and an adult or another child who by age or
development is in a relationship of responsibility, trust or power, the activity
being intended to gratify or satisfy the needs of the other person.”
This may include:
- the inducement or coercion of a child to engage in any unlawful sexual activity.
- the exploitative use of a child in prostitution or other unlawful sexual practices.
- the exploitative use of children in pornographic performance and materials.
So, it is engaging children in any sexual activity by the perpetrator. Sexual abuse can include both touching and non-touching activities. Non-touching activities can include voyeurism (trying to look at a child’s naked body), immodest exposure, or exposing the child to pornography.
Age, race, ethnicity, gender, or economic status of the child do not limit the cases of sexual abuse rather any child may experience this. Child sexual abuse affects both girls and boys in all kinds of communities.
4.Physical neglect
It refers to a scenario where parents or caregivers do not provide proper attention or necessities which are the basic need of a child to survive. Basically, it includes food, shelter, and clothes but it can also relate to a safe and violent free environment for the child. Other than this abandoning the child is also part of this abuse. Parents’ conflicts also result in this type of abuse for their child. Poor hygiene, underdevelopment of personality, over or underweight or poor health of a child depicts this type of abuse.
5.Emotional neglect
It is an invisible trauma through which a child may undergo. When parents fail to see, know, understand, and feel the emotional needs of their child, the child feels emotionally neglected. Parents or caregivers do this sometimes intentionally or sometimes unintentionally. Usually, the parents do not understand the feelings of their child because they are also gone through a similar situation.
Now the question is, where these childhood traumas may lead you to?
According to researchers, children with above-mentioned childhood traumas have higher tendencies for suicide, mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, psychosis, delusions, and hallucinations in adulthood. Apart from it, poor educational and professional outcomes and deficient social adjustment can be seen.
But the good news is that, if you seek proper advice from your health care providers, you can get the best results at the right time. Hiding your emotions and fears is not the solution. You are now fortunate enough to seek help If you are the unfortunate one who suffered from any type of abuse during childhood. And you can help any child suffering from any kind of abuse so that he/she can have a healthy life ahead.
You can consult the best Psychiatrist in Islamabad through Marham. During this pandemic, you can consult your doctor online through Marham. Call us at 03111222398 and book your online consultation so you don’t have to leave your home.
