Childhood experience can leave a mark on our biology – but love and care protect us
By Paul Bolger. Chartered Physiotherapist at Nano Physiotherapy, Kilkenny (www.nanophysio.ie).
Over the past two weeks we have learned that childhood maltreatment has negative effects on health much later in life, that our body’s systems learn and adapt to this, and dysregulation of the stress response plays a key role in this process. These two articles are available on the Kilkenny Observer website.
While people suffer after being subjected to serious maltreatment in childhood, some struggle more than others to find their place in society and find it difficult to thrive. Yes, research does show that the risk of future health issues is higher after traumatic childhood experiences, but some people go on to lead relatively normal and healthy lives. What is it that protects some people?
Love and care
Love and care offer a protective buffer from childhood abuse. Researchers have found that children who experience caring, loving relationships with others, like an adult caregiver, as well as children who have many positive experiences in childhood, are somewhat protected from the negative consequences of maltreatment.
Safety and predictability are essential for our wellbeing – whether we are children or adults. Having at least one adult present who is reliable, who shows unconditional love, whose moods are predictable and with whom they feel safe and secure is essential for the wellbeing of children.
We learned last week that suffering from maltreatment and abuse teaches a child that the world is a dangerous and unpredictable place – their inner biology adapts to assume danger lies around any corner. This is positively harmful to physical health in the long run. Love and care that is predictable and consistent teaches them that there is safety and security to be found – counter-balancing the effects of trauma on the systems of the body.
Retraining The Stress System
For those who have suffered from extreme adverse events in childhood, it is still possible to reduce the health impacts later in life. As adults, we still have many of the same emotional needs that we did as children – like trusting relationships and feeling accepted as part of a community. While it can be difficult to unlearn deeply rooted behaviours and thought processes that set in during childhood, it is possible. As long as we are alive it is possible to adapt and change.
Retraining the stress system is a key part of dampening the health impacts of early-life maltreatment. Identifying and confronting behaviours that are associated with trauma are essential here. There are many ways to approach this – and it is best done under the guidance of a trauma-informed therapist such as a psychologist or a well-trained counsellor. We will look at this more next week.
Stress Altering Activities
If you struggle to access mental health support services (which can unfortunately be difficult in this country), there are many stress-relieving activities (like exercise, mindfulness and performing relaxing tasks) that, if performed regularly, can help to turn down the volume on our stress response, nudging us towards a state of “rest & digest” – bringing our bodies into a more relaxed, sustainable state. We will explore some of these in the coming weeks, motivating us all to develop a useful stress-reducing routine.
If anybody needs support or help with any of the issues raised here, please do inform your GP or local mental health support providers.
