11. Take care of yourself
People who have gone through a childhood trauma can experience physical as well as emotional symptoms, even if they were not bodily harmed during the trauma. The sense of fear and hopelessness can cause them so much stress that it can have an effect on the heart. Many report heart palpitations when they become aware of a trigger that makes them remember their trauma.
Childhood trauma can also affect brain development. During childhood, the brain is constantly developing as you acquire new skills. Studies have shown that the stress caused by a childhood trauma can have a negative impact on your brain’s development, particularly in the areas that regulate your responses to stress. These are the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex.
The body responds to stress with the brain instructing the release of hormones to help you cope. This is done through the HPA-axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland). The adrenal glands produce the hormones cortisol and adrenaline to help you cope with a stressful situation. This stress response pathway can be affected by an adverse childhood experience. One of the functions of the hormone cortisol is to protect the immune system.
If the adrenaline glands do not produce enough of this hormone or do not secrete enough, the immune system can be compromised, rendering you more susceptible to infection and illness. It is advisable that you have regular health check-ups to make sure that there are no long-lasting effects of your childhood trauma on your body over and above those resulting from injuries you may have sustained during the event. If there are, you should be aware of them so that you can employ the proper treatments to manage them.