When you see a child acting out and misbehaving, or an adult who seems unable to focus, connect or control emotions, how often do think to yourself, "Hmmm, I wonder if there's trauma in that person's background..." More often than not we just blame and feel abused and/or frustrated by such behaviors - even when they're our own.
Understanding the link between childhood trauma and negative behavior patterns can be critical to treating them.
PTSD Causes
As a mental health advocate, author and speaker, I attend many events surrounding posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). All too often, I experience a conversation that goes like this:
“What do you do, exactly?” someone will ask.
“I help trauma survivors learn to cope with, manage and overcome symptoms of PTSD,” I reply.
“Ohhhhh,” their eyes light up. “You work with veterans!”
People often don't realize that the causes of PTSD result from many types of trauma.