What Is Developmental Trauma? | How Can I Heal Myself?

Childhood trauma, such as abuse and neglect, can have a profound effect on many aspects of your day-to-day functioning. It can make you more prone to mental health illness in adulthood, such as anxiety disorders and depression, and may also affect your ability to form and sustain close relationships.

What Is Developmental Trauma?

Having experienced a number of traumas or recurrent abuse since childhood or adolescence is commonly known as developmental trauma.

Developmental Trauma can involve childhood abuse, neglect, domestic violence, or traumatic loss and bereavement.

If you have suffered from developmental trauma you are likely to experience the following problems:

• Signs of depression and anxiety
• Poor intimate relationships
• Lack of purpose in life
• Difficulties in identity development
• Difficulties in professional development
• Problems trusting others and forming close relationships
• Be prone to self-harming actions
• Be susceptible to mental health conditions, such as personality disorders, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol or drug abuse

Self-Help Tips On How To Heal Yourself

1. Connecting with others, and seeking rewarding relationships. Spend time with friends and family who love you, and make you feel good. Go for a walk, spend time with pets, or go on a short holiday to feel re-energised.
2. Establishing firm boundaries to people who try to take advantage.
3. Discovering aspects of yourself that you didn’t have the chance to discover before through different activities, professional development, workshops, sports, arts etc
4. Take care of yourself by keeping your body healthy. Eat a balanced diet and get enough sleep. Good physical health will help you feel stronger and more emotionally resilient to deal with the emotional ups and downs, and the distressing memories, of abuse.

If you are experiencing symptoms of trauma, it is important that you seek treatment.

Our multidisciplinary team can provide you with a safe and supportive environment where you are able to share your emotions and feel better about yourself:

Psychotherapists – talking therapy to help you work through your experience, find peace in your body, and support you in building better relationships.

Nutritional Therapy – diet, lifestyle and health interventions to balance your body chemistry

Psychiatry – medical assessment and medication prescription