Childhood complex trauma, wires the brain for fear.

https://www.sideeffectspublicmedia.org/post/childhood-trauma-leads-brains-wired-fear

 

 

There is considerable evidence showing how a child's brain becomes wired for fear, if they experience a childhood of ongoing complex trauma and abuse.

 

It has also been confirmed that when a child experiences ongoing trauma and neglect, the brain processes this fear and trauma the same way as the brain of a soldier in combat.

 

The child is experiencing a 'war zone' in the same way as a combat soldier. However, it is far worse, far more impacting and damaging, as this is a child, not an adult. And the child's brain is immature and not developed and the child does not have the same capacity for coping skills.

 

The impact of childhood trauma, is only now becoming more understood, especially the life impacting affects of fear.

 

This evidence is proven via neuroscience and via research by world leading trauma experts, such as Dr. Bessel van der Kolk.

 

This brain wiring for fear, profoundly impacts life throughout adulthood.

 

It is also known these deep wounds and the way the brain becomes wired for fear, are only healed within healthy, safe relationships in adulthood. If the survivor does not have safe, trusting relationships, those wounds are unlikely to heal. 

 

It is important for survivors of complex trauma and society, to understand this fear does not just 'go away' due to intellectual understanding of the causes.

 

The brain has been 'wired' for fear, and you don't just 'get over' that. So telling a survivor to stop feeling fear, stop fearing people, stop having trust issues etc - is inapproprate, and harmful. It can take years within trusting, safe relationships, decades even, for this to be healed. And that 'is' okay. Shaming survivors, or survivors shaming themselves about this, does not help.

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