Early life trauma

Symptoms of early life trauma

Symptoms of early life trauma can vary but often include:

• emotional dysregulation: difficulty managing emotions, frequent mood swings, and extreme emotional responses
• attachment issues: trouble forming healthy relationships, fear of abandonment, or difficulty trusting others
• behavioural problems: aggression, impulsivity, self-harm, or substance abuse
• cognitive impairment: problems with attention, learning difficulties and memory issues
• physical health issues: chronic health problems, sleep disturbances and heightened stress response, and
• low self-esteem: persistent feelings of worthlessness, shame or guilt.

Long-term effects

If untreated, early life trauma can lead to long-term effects such as:

• mental health disorders: increased risk of anxiety, depression, PTSD and personality disorders
• interpersonal problems: difficulty maintaining healthy relationships and increased risk of abusive relationships
• substance abuse: higher likelihood of developing substance use disorders as a coping mechanism, and
• physical health issues: greater risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders.