How Childhood Trauma Shapes Your Personality — Transcript

Have you ever wondered how your childhood experiences shape your personality as you grow up? This question has been asked by psychologists since the dawn of psychology, and it's up for debate even today. But when it comes to childhood trauma, it's clear that the hardships of childhood make you into the person that you are today. Emotional or physical trauma can shape the way you think, the way you behave, your personality traits, and even make you prone to some serious mental illnesses.

trauma it's clear that the hardships of childhood make you into the person that you are today emotional or physical trauma can shape the way you think the way you behave your personality traits and even make you prone to some serious

So, here's how childhood trauma could shape your personality.

according to research published this year in the journal of research and personality your childhood trauma may have something to do with it the connection between childhood trauma and perfectionism happens when your parents set high expectations and demand everything to be just perfect

Number one: You become a perfectionist. Are you a perfectionist with impossibly high standards? But do you feel like your perfectionism is holding you back, making you anxious and stressed all the time?

must go to law school your hobbies are not up to their standards your room is never clean enough you didn't do your chores exactly how they like them done were your parents like this if so you surely understand the

According to research published this year in the Journal of Research in Personality, your childhood trauma may have something to do with it. The connection between childhood trauma and perfectionism happens when your parents set high expectations and demand everything to be just perfect.

you get overwhelmed with anxiety and sometimes this can lead to symptoms of depression because you never seem to be satisfied in life number two you may develop an eating disorder sometimes your mental trauma can express itself through your body

They don't accept a B plus; you have to get an A. They don't care if you've already done your homework; you have to study for a few more hours. They don't care if you want to be an artist; you must go to law school. Your hobbies are not up to their standards. Your room is never clean enough. You didn't do your chores exactly how they like them done. Were your parents like this? If so, you surely understand the exhaustion that comes from never feeling good enough for your parents as you try to keep up with their demands.

trauma survivors eating disorders may become a mechanism for coping with negative emotions they experience through unhealthy eating habits or by controlling your weight you may feel like you're finally gaining control over something in your life you may feel like your whole life is out

This way of thinking becomes a part of you and shapes your personality when you grow up. If you feel like something isn't perfect, you get overwhelmed with anxiety, and sometimes this can lead to symptoms of depression because you never seem to be satisfied in life.

the moment disordered eating just adds to your trauma in the end number three you sometimes act childish do you sometimes act a little too childish trauma can sometimes make you stuck in your childhood all those feelings that you may

Number two: You may develop an eating disorder. Sometimes your mental trauma can express itself through your body.

handling chores and so on this can make you feel so overwhelmed that you may turn to your inner child for help this is called age regression and it's a psychological defense mechanism where you return to some childlike behaviors

Several studies found a link between anorexia or binge eating disorder and childhood emotional trauma. You may be especially vulnerable to developing an eating disorder if your parents focus too much on your body and looks in general. But it's not always just about looks. For trauma survivors, eating disorders may become a mechanism for coping with negative emotions they experience through unhealthy eating habits or by controlling your weight.

triggered by a memory or a traumatic event it can be difficult to cope with because people may see you as childish and immature but it's important to remember that you're still capable of living your life to the fullest

You may feel like you're finally gaining control over something in your life. You may feel like your whole life is out of your hands, but at least you still have ownership over your body. You may also indulge in emotional eating. This is when food becomes your best friend, and you turn to it when life gets you down. But no matter how good it may feel at the moment, disordered eating just adds to your trauma in the end.

treated you if your parents were loving and caring you learned that you can trust people to be there for you you learned that you are someone deserving of love then this is called a secure attachment but if your parents ignored you

Number three: You sometimes act childish. Do you sometimes act a little too childish? Trauma can sometimes make you stuck in your childhood. All those feelings that you may experience—shame, guilt, humiliation, fear—pull you back and sometimes make you terrified of being an adult.

have a strong fear of people rejecting you there are three types of insecure attachment and each one describes how today you may feel towards yourself and others the first is anxious or preoccupied if your attachment style is anxious you

Maybe you feel like you can't make decisions for yourself or like you're not capable of handling adult stresses like going to work, paying the bills, handling chores, and so on. This can make you feel so overwhelmed that you may turn to your inner child for help.

you next is avoidant or dismissive people don't always have a bad self-image even if they survive childhood trauma if your attachment style is avoidant you may see yourself as strong and independent but you can't say the same for other people because

This is called age regression, and it's a psychological defense mechanism where you return to some childlike behaviors to help you cope. This can include baby talk, throwing temper tantrums, using stuffed animals to self-soothe, and so on.

your feelings or be intimate with anyone and lastly there's disorganized or fearful avoidant most people with this attachment style had parents who were hot and cold one moment everything was fine the next they're showered with insults or they're being yelled at

While age regression can be a symptom of some serious mental disorders, sometimes you may temporarily regress in response to a stressful event or when triggered by a memory or a traumatic event. It can be difficult to cope with because people may see you as childish and immature, but it's important to remember that you're still capable of living your life to the fullest.

of the blue with this attachment style your self-image may also be unstable as well you're not sure who you even are let alone what to think of yourself so how did your childhood experience shape you into who you are today

Number four: You develop an insecure attachment. Finally, we can't talk about the effects of childhood trauma if we don't mention the attachment theory. According to attachment theory, when you were a child, your way of thinking was shaped depending on how your parents treated you.

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If your parents were loving and caring, you learned that you can trust people to be there for you. You learned that you are someone deserving of love. Then this is called a secure attachment. But if your parents ignored you, neglected you, or didn't respond to your crying and pleas for help, then you may have developed an insecure attachment.