AS adults, we face some traumatic times in our lives but we are meant to have coping skills and deductive, rational abilities to help us overcome whatever hardships come our way. Although distressing events may never leave our minds completely, in time, most of us learn to accept them and move on with our lives.

Trauma can be caused by so many things that happen; they can range from parting with a loved one to witnessing an accident or domestic abuse. Being physically or sexually abused or simply moving home; leaving behind a secure environment to embark on a new one are also traumatic events, especially for children.

Because children’s minds are vulnerable, trauma will affect them in a different way to adults. Even a slap around the head for telling a lie or having their ear wrung can seem traumatic from a child’s prospective.

A child’s perception of what is happening to them is significant because childhood experiences shape their outlook on life either positively or negatively. Recent studies have shown that traumatic experiences during formative years can also be a risk factor to whether a person is more susceptible to mental and physical health issues in later life. Issues such as depression, obesity, cancer, heart attack, stroke and diabetes.
It seems, the more we learn about how to treat the human body, the more we realise how much we can influence its potential outcome and longevity. The risk of developing an illness in adulthood, which was triggered by childhood trauma, increases with the amount of negative experiences that a child is exposed to – and endures.
To adults, some traumatic experiences may appear to pass over the heads of children, or they might believe that their children are coping well with a distressing change that has occurred. But many children do not know how to express the impact that a situation may be having on them. Added to this is the prevalent culture in many households, where children’s feelings, opinions and thoughts are not important and do not merit so much as a hearing.

Childhood traumas can include: Parents divorcing, substance misuse or alcoholism in the household, incarceration of a parent: the witnessing of domestic abuse and mental or physical illness in the home. If children have additional psychological scars that derive from emotional or physical neglect, or physical and/or sexual abuse, they could suffer from ‘Adverse childhood experience’s’ (ACE’s] a group of traumatic events that occur before the age of 18).

Trauma(s) during childhood can affect a person’s ability to cope well in situations and cause them anxiety, high or low blood pressure and stress. As adults, we may be inclined to one type of illness or another, but childhood trauma can heighten the illness in our bodies and push us over the edge. Our bodies(including our inner organs) remember and absorbs the traumas we have experienced and react adversely when under strain.

Another reason why childhood trauma can be a risk factor for future psychological and medical problems is the methods that people use to blot out memories from the past. Persons dealing with trauma (especially adolescents) are likely to partake in risky or reckless behaviour, such as promiscuity, drinking, smoking and drug use, or over-eating for comfort.

They never ask themselves, ‘why am I behaving in this fashion? Because these are the coping mechanisms they use to overcome trauma. Unfortunately, this type of behaviour only offers short-term relief and they tend to become habits that lead to health problems.
Stress is a common word that is trivially bounded around by many. People say, ‘Don’t bother stress me out, you hear?’, or ‘That man is pure stress!’ when relating to a troublesome person, but did you know that stress ages your body faster? And chronic stress adds to inflammation in the body – which has been associated with a wide range of illnesses including cardiovascular disease?

Sometimes people who have stress pass it on to others in their homes without realising, including to their children. This is called ‘observational learning’. To prevent children from developing unnecessary health issues in the future, adults must be mindful of the choices they make which affect their lives; and be cognisant of the things they do and say to them.
Adults have the option to create an atmosphere for children that is as stress-free as possible. But first they should work on their own stress level and monitor how they cope with distressing, worrying or unexpected situations.

There are a number of tried and tested methods that can help to reduce stress if adults are willing to give them a try; such as simple breathing exercises, yoga, regular exercise and meditation. Access to these types of activities is available free on the internet, with some classes, only 10-30 minutes duration.

Taking a few moments every morning to sit still and compose ones’ self with peaceful thoughts of gratitude and humility could give a person the encouraging mind-set needed for a positive day ahead. If adults find it hard to deal with traumatic events of the past they should seek professional help from a therapist or psychologist. Let’s take care of ourselves and our children’s future.

If you are concerned about the welfare of a child, call the CPA hotline on 227 0979 or write to us at childcaregy@gmail.com
A MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY,
MINISTRY OF SOCIAL PROTECTION