Trauma can be an incredibly persistent burden to bear, so much so that even things endured in childhood can often stick with you into your adult life. Fortunately, adult psychiatry can help you cope with childhood trauma and finally put the past in perspective.
Childhood Trauma
Traumatic events experienced in childhood can have a lasting impact on a person’s mental health. Childhood trauma can take on many forms, and is unfortunately all too common. Children’s brains are still developing during childhood, so traumatic events can actually alter brain development and increase the likelihood of psychiatric conditions into adulthood. The most common condition developed by children following traumatic events is post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD is a very broad disorder in terms of causes, but its effects are near universal. Whether you witnessed or experienced trauma as a child, people with PTSD often experience nightmares, fear of similar situations to what caused the trauma, and panic attacks when triggered. PTSD can last for years, and it can very easily lead to depression and anxiety because of its longevity. In recent studies, the likelihood of developing bipolar disorder was determined to be higher in individuals with childhood trauma. While bipolar disorder can happen to anyone, it seems that experiencing trauma as a child can lead to developing the disorder in adulthood. No matter what the source of trauma or the severity of it, it’s the way our brains perceived such events. Even unremarkable or small things can have far-reaching effects. Take coulrophobia for example – the fear of clowns. Exposure to frightening clown imagery in pop culture at an impressionable and young age can lead to a lifelong fear. While it may sound extreme, coulrophobia is an example of the effects of childhood trauma. Of course, many people can overcome childhood trauma with psychiatric services as a child, but what if that opportunity wasn’t afforded to you?
How Adult Psychiatry Services Can Help You Cope with Childhood Trauma
Childhood trauma can be incredibly difficult to shake, and many adults grapple with its effects decades later. Fortunately, psychiatric services can help you unravel that trauma and cope with the impact it’s had on your mental wellbeing. Psychiatry is a two-pronged approach to treating mental illness, with a facet focusing on prescription medication and another on therapy. Since childhood trauma leads to a variety of issues later in life, psychiatry can be focused on the particular problems you face. Whether anxiety and depression or bipolar disorder and ADHD, there are a variety of medications that can help treat your condition. Once you meet with your psychiatrist and your particular needs are determined, they will recommend one or more medications to help in your trauma recovery journey. Regular visits with your psychiatrist will be conducted in order to gauge how the medication is working for you and whether changes may be in order. Since psychiatry is keeping up with the modern age, it’s never been easier to keep in touch with your provider. With online psychiatry services, appointments no longer need to be held in person in many cases. Since COVID-19, many provisions have been put in place allowing for medications to be prescribed during teletherapy sessions. Seeing your psychiatrist online may also help if you struggle with social anxiety. Additionally, online appointments can be a great option for people with limited or no transportation options. Whatever your particular needs, psychiatry can do a great deal to help. When it comes to coping with childhood trauma, there is no one right answer or cure. It takes time, determination, and trial and error to properly treat the many possible effects of childhood trauma.
Interested in learning more about how psychiatry services can help with your childhood trauma, even years after it occurred? Give our experts a call at SOL Mental Health today and start on your way toward coping with your childhood trauma.
